Like a Battery
by RisuBento
Summary: Love? Love is like...a battery. Sometimes it'll last forever. But in other cases...the juice inside runs out and...dies. SesshoumaruKagome BEING REVISED!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is in the middle of revision so some things may be changed if you've read this before. :D

* * *

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Tao and this plot :D**

"…I hate you! You're always gone!"

"Will you cease this mindless babble, woman! The neighbors will hear!"

"That's all you care about! Your damn reputation! You don't even care what I think!"

"You're talking nonsense woman."

Footsteps were heard coming towards the grand entrance hall and the figure sitting on the steps quickly jumped up and bounded up the stairs. Quietly, he entered his bedroom and hopped into bed, throwing the covers up to his chin.

It was a while before he heard the door slowly creak open. He knew it was his mother. Her stilettos clunked dully against the floor as she made her way to his bed.

He closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

It was always like this. Father would come home from a 12-hour work day at the office, and then he and mother would argue and fight over something silly. Then his mother would come upstairs to his room and kiss him good night with a soft, "I love you, baby."

They'd begun argue relentlessly back when he was 10. Now, 3 years later, Tao Kagiyama was forced to endure nights of full blown yelling and fighting.

He was so tired of it.

Didn't they care what he thought? He had feelings too…

Feeling the familiar soft lips of his mother against his cheek and the quiet "I love you, baby," he sighed and turned, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I love you too, mama." He whispered.

He heard his mother choke and felt her tears fall onto his neck. Then she sat back and brushed his bangs from his eyes.

"Everything will be all right, baby." She said, kissing his forehead, leaving the room.

Tao was forced to fall asleep with the usual "It's not going to be okay, mother…" plaguing his thoughts.

* * *

It was "Parent's Day" at school the next day and as usual his parents came but were refusing to interact with one another.

The tension was nearly killing him!

His father was now standing on Tao's right; arms crossed, back straight, and face emotionless. Tao sometimes had to wonder if his father hadn't somehow frozen in place, he was so stiff and serious looking at times.

His mother, to his left, was currently talking with some other kid's mother. She was conversing with fake cheerfulness. He could tell, by how the corners of her mouth were straining when she smiled.

Looking around him, he watched as happy, smiling parents were complimenting their children's projects.

Tao moved his gaze back to his project and frowned. He put his heart and soul into this project. He'd draw complex pictures of his mother and father. Some with him with them and some by themselves on a nice vacation.

He'd been at a young age, when it was discovered that he was a prodigy child when it came to art. He'd been able to draw exact copies of Superman (and just about everything else) just by glancing at it, by the age of 5.

He didn't understand what "prodigy" had meant when he was that young but his mother explained to him, with a sincere smile on her face, that it meant he had special talents that were rarely seen at his age.

His mother was immensely proud. His father…just sniffed and turned back to his computer.

Now looking at his Parent's Day project, he wanted nothing else than to have it burst in flames and crumble to ashes-and therefore cease to exist.

A hand on his shoulder yanked him from his thoughts and back to the intruder. Before he could turn to investigate, his father's voice was right next to his ear.

"Tell your mother we are leaving."

Tao's shoulder's sagged slightly before he nodded. Turning from his father and his "masterpiece" project, he reached forward and tugged his mother's suit jacket.

"Hey sweetheart…What's up?" She asked, finishing her conversation with the woman.

"Father says we are leaving." He answered quietly.

His mother stiffened and looked up to see his father speaking heatedly on his cell phone.

"All right. Let's take this beautiful piece of yours home and go get some ice cream, hm?" She bargained with a playful grin on her lips.

Tao couldn't keep the frown on his face…he slowly, but surely, found himself beaming brightly at his mother.

"Okay." He said, turning and began folding his art board up. He failed to see the glower replace his mother's face as she and her husband glared at one another, over his back.

* * *

A few days later…

Tao was at his uncle's house-his uncle was supposed to be watching him while his mother and father were at work.

"Hey uncle?" Tao called, sitting on the couch, doing his homework.

"Yeah?" Came his uncle's muffled answer from underneath the kitchen sink.

"Why…do parents fight?" He shyly asked, doodling on his notebook paper.

A loud thunk was heard from under the sink followed by a string of curses that made Tao's eyes grow wide in awe. His uncle, Inuyasha, came wandering out in the living room while rubbing his forehead. Tao assumed that's what the thunk sound emitted from.

"Why are you asking? Your mom and dad at it again?" He asked, flopping down into a leather recliner.

Tao shrugged his shoulders, unable to look his uncle in the eye. Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Listen. I'm not really good at this type of thing, but maybe should go talk to someone about it." He suggested.

"I 'am' talking to someone." Tao said quirking an eyebrow and gesturing towards his slumbering uncle.

"God…all right. Why do parents fight? Well…maybe because they're immature butt heads who don't want to agree on anything because they're too stubborn for their own good." Inuyasha shrugged, clasping his hands behind his head and closing his eyes.

Tao frowned. 'A lot of help that did, uncle.' He shook his head and was startled when a shout was heard followed by the front door slamming.

"Tao? Inuyasha?" His mother called her stiletto's clicking as she walked down the main entrance towards the living room. "There you guys are. Did you have fun today?"

"Keh." Inuyasha sniffed, his eyes drooping shut.

"Sure mom." Tao said, busily shoving his homework into his backpack. A loud yelp followed by a giggle was heard behind him and he turned to see that his mother had jumped into his uncle's lap and was now hugging him and kissing his cheek. His uncle didn't look too happy, but he grinned and kissed her cheek back.

Why couldn't 'his' parents be like them? Why couldn't they get along…?

"Let's go mom." Tao said, stomping out from the living room and out the entrance hall.

His mother frowned. "What's up with him?"

A snore was her answer.

* * *

The car ride home was uneventful and quiet other than his mother's occasional humming.

When they parked the Mini Cooper in the roundabout, just in front of the mansion's marble stairs, Tao saw his father coming down the stairs.

Uh oh.

Climbing out from the passenger's side, he was passing his father when he heard his voice. "Kagome." Was all he said. Tao sighed. He knew that stern sounding voice. His was upset about something.

Walking inside and up to his room, he paused in the doorway when he heard his mother and father's raised voices below his open window.

"…art classes at the academy. Why do you encourage him?" His father said angrily.

"Because, Sesshoumaru! He's a brilliant artist! Especially for someone his age-" His mother defended.

"-Boys his age should be learning to follow in their father's footsteps." Sesshoumaru scowled.

Kagome huffed. "What if he doesn't "want" to follow in your footsteps? I know I wouldn't if I knew I was to end up an arrogant pompous ass like you-"

That's when he slammed the window shut.

Throwing his backpack to the floor, he sighed pitifully before sinking into his bed.

Why couldn't they just get along? Was it so hard!

Picking up his abandoned sketchpad from his end table, he opened it to a clean page and began to sketch.

* * *

Kagome walked into the grand entrance hall and slammed the large oak doors shut in her husband's face. Kicking her heels off, she stomped into the kitchen and yanked the freezer open.

"Kagome! You dare slam a door in my face when this Sesshoumaru was still speaking to you?" Sesshoumaru snarled walking into the kitchen.

Kagome ignored him and took out a tub of chocolate ice cream and a spoon.

"Woman! Don't you dare ignore me…You WILL listen to me." Sesshoumaru growled, slowly stalking towards her.

Kagome sighed, and spooned some chocolate ecstasy into her mouth. "Sesshoumaru…why do we fight?"

"Don't change the subject-"

"NO! I want to know! It's all we do now. I can't remember a time when we haven't been at each other's throats…and I think Tao's upset by it." She said, spooning some more ice cream into her mouth.

Sesshoumaru sighed and sat down on a stool next to his wife. "Kagome…"

Kagome swallowed her ice cream and leaned over so her head was resting against his shoulder. Sesshoumaru lifted a hand and rubbed her back in a soothing way.

"What's happening to us? Why do we fight over such silly things?" She whispered.

Sesshoumaru didn't speak. He didn't know what to say for there was nothing to say. He just pulled his wife closer and kissed her temple.

They didn't see the younger golden eyes watching them from the kitchen doorway.

* * *

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii As I said above I'm revising this story because it's in SO MUCH NEED OF SOME REVISION. I started writing this story YEEEEEEEEEARS ago and I'm attempting at finishing. Hope you guys continue.

**I really appreciate constructive ideas on how make this story better or correcting some of my silly errors but seriously if you have nothing better to do than to go around flaming peoples stories then bugger off. Get a life. Or a real critic job. Or a soul. :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Two:**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**oo0O0oo**

* * *

Sighing at the sight of his parents sitting and hugging in the kitchen was a nice thing to see…but it wouldn't last. They'll be at it again in at least a couple of hours. 

Moving away and holding his sketchbook up, he began sketching their forms. They were hugging…he had to capture the moment if he wanted something 'good' to look at when things weren't good.

He quickly darted from the doorway when he saw his father's nose twitch. He must've smelled him. Tao ran up the stairs, two at a time, and slammed his door shut. Plopping down onto his bed once again, he was sketching the content yet saddened look on his mother's face when a knock on the door startled him.

"Yeah?" He called, not looking up from the paper.

"Tao?" Came his mother's voice. He looked up and gave a forced smile to his tired looking mother.

Kagome stepped over the threshold of his doorway and closed the door behind her. "Sweetie? What're you drawing?" She asked sitting down next to him.

"Nothing." He quickly answered flipping the book closed and tossing it onto his desk. Kagome frowned. "Was there something you needed?" He asked, opening his closet.

"Yeah. Your father and I are going on a vacation for a while and you're going to be staying at Grandma's while we're gone." She said, with strange smile on her face.

Tao instantly perked up. "Grandma's?"

"Yeah. I just called and she said she'd be more than happy to have you stay there. She's missed you." Kagome said.

Tao sighed and looked at the duffel bag on his shelf. Finally…maybe his parents will make up and not fight after they come back from their vacation. Besides…staying at grandma's meant cookies and junk food galore---something he wasn't allowed here at home.

"All right. Uncle Souta's probably got some new games too." He mentioned, taking down his bag and began filling it up with clothes. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"2 weeks at the most. It's not a long vacation. Just something to get away from it all." His mother answered, standing up and picking at a piece of lint from her business suit's skirt.

"Where're you guys going?" He asked, going into his bathroom and coming back out with a towel his brush and toothbrush.

"Don't know yet. Somewhere warm I suppose." She answered, pulling out a pair of his pants from his bag and refolding them.

Tao nodded. Please…please let them make up and not fight anymore.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

"Bye sweetheart…have fun and don't stay up too late playing video games. And NO junk food!" His mother warned, hugging him and kissing his obsidian head. He rolled his eyes and snuck a peek at his smirking grandmother.

Tao moved away from his mother and slowly turned to his father who was standing and looking up at the Goshinboku. Cautiously, Tao took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, startling him.

Sesshoumaru looked uncomfortable for a moment before he wrapped his arms around his son. "Listen to your grandmother, and stay out of trouble." He said, pulling back and ruffling his son's locks.

Tao nodded and turned to stand by his grandmother, who was busily shooing his parents down towards the limo at the bottom of the steps.

"I love you baby!" Kagome yelled up the steps before being yanked into the limo by her husband.

"See you guys later! Have fun!" He called, full hope bursting in his chest.

As he watched the limo pull away, he prayed hard and deep that everything "would" be all right.

How fate tends to disappoint the hopeful so harshly.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

It was a week later that he got the phone call. He was currently playing video games with his uncle when his grandmother walked into the room saying that his mother was on the phone.

His heart sank.

Maybe…maybe she was calling to say that they're happy now and that they were no longer going to fight…fat chance.

Standing up he thanked his grandmother and took the phone up to his bedroom.

"Hello?" He asked, after shutting the door.

"Baby? It's mama. How're things at grandma's?" She asked. Her voice was thick and sounded like she'd been crying.

His heart sank deeper.

"Fine. How're…what about you and dad?" He asked, sinking onto his bed.

His mother sighed. That's when he knew that everything 'wasn't' all right.

"He…your father and I just had a little argument that's all. We've…we're coming home tomorrow night." She said. He was sure that he heard a sob being held down.

"Why? Why so soon? Aren't you guys having fun?" He asked, feeling a strange burn in his eyes.

"Baby…I…We'll talk when we get back all right?" She asked.

He was quiet. He didn't know what to say. What COULD he say? Nothing he could say would make anything better.

"All right…Bye." He said, cutting off his mother's cry to make him stay on the phone, as he hung up.

Letting the phone drop from his hand and onto the carpeted floor, he laid back onto his bed and his vision became blurry. He was crying. Crying because he couldn't do anything to make his family happier…crying because he wanted a happy family and that he knew that he wasn't going to be getting one any time soon.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

He'd fallen asleep crying. His face felt tight and puffy. Lifting his head he glanced at the clock on the wall. 9 a.m. He'd slept for an entire day. His grandmother must've known why his mother had called and was had left him to himself. He was glad about that. Right now…all he wanted was to be with his mother and father…and be HAPPY.

"Tao?" Came a soft voice, followed by a knock on the door.

Standing up and rubbing his sleep laden eyes, he walked to the door and unlocked it. His grandmother instantly darted in pulled him into a hug. He was sure that he wasn't able to cry any longer…until he felt the tears rush from his eyes and onto his grandmother's sweater.

"It's all right…shh…go ahead and cry." She said soothingly, running her nimble fingers through his short obsidian locks.

Somehow he knew that his grandmother knew exactly what he was feeling. And that made him feel warm. Before long they were sitting on his bed and she was talking to him…he didn't hear what she was saying. But it was the sound of her soothing voice that allowed him to feel loved and gently fall into a dreamless sleep.

He was instantly jerked awake when his body was gently bobbing up and down. He was being carried away from the shrine. Lifting his head, he found that it was his father who was carrying him. Letting his head fall back onto his father's shoulder he was about to doze off again when a calm voice sounded from the limo. He was passed off to his mother who moved to the adjacent seat from his father.

Tao frowned sleepily. They weren't sitting next to each other…

It wasn't fair.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

* * *

Thank you all for the reviews! It makes me so happy! 

_**N3ko-chan**_

_**Me**_

_**Karmen**_

_**place inventive name here**_

_**whyshoulditellyou**_

_**Kim**_

_**Faithful Vampire**_

_**teenagetomboy69**_

_**kitsune ninja**_

_**ashley**_

_**Erik and Fae**_

_**lyn**_

_**Sesshans**_

**REVIEW!**

RisuBento


	3. Chapter 3

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter 3:**

**oo0O0oo**

* * *

****

When they'd arrived home that evening, Tao was summoned to the tea ceremony room. He knew that it was going to be bad if they were meeting in the ceremony room. All bad news was broken in the cheeriest room in the mansion.

When he sat down, his mother and father were both looking at him with solemn faces. His mother smiled. A hopeful smile that made his heart beat a little faster. She reached over and took hold of Sesshoumaru's hand.

"Tao…your father and I have decided to…" Tao hung his head and closed his eyes.

"You guys are getting a divorce aren't you?" He said quietly.

"What! A divorce? Oh no! Sweetheart! No…your father and I have decided to try for another baby…not get a divorce." Kagome said, a nervous laugh escaping her lips.

Tao's head shot up. A baby? They're fighting and making me worry and upset and all they can think about is trying for another baby?

Without a word, he stood up and left his parents to themselves.

Kagome looked heartbroken.

"Sesshoumaru…maybe, maybe it's too soon." She said quietly. Sesshoumaru sighed and pulled his wife into his arms.

"No. We are going to make him happier…" He said, running a hand through her hair.

Outside of the door, Tao sighed and crossed his arms. So…they're trying for another baby because they want him to be happy? He just wanted 'them' to be happy! If they were happy they HE was happy!

Moving over to the door he grabbed his coat and slipped his shoes on before leaving the house entirely. He needed to get away for awhile. To think things through.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

After walking through the park near their neighborhood, Tao found himself back at his doorstep and looking into his mother's worried eyes.

"Tao…don't do that! Tell us where you're going next time!" She said, moving down the steps and pulling him into a hug.

Tao allowed her too. After thinking things through…he'd finally come to a conclusion. If they wanted to try and have another kid to make him happy than so be it. If he's happy, than they'll hopefully be happy.

Or so he thought.

About 3 months after trying to have a baby, Tao's mother found out that she may never be able to have anymore children. Some about having 'malfunctioning ovaries' whatever that meant. She was scheduled to get something called a 'hysterectomy' in about 6 months or so. She didn't want to get an infection in her ovaries or something like that.

Tao only understood that his mother wasn't going to give him a younger brother or sister.

Which meant that he couldn't be happy…which meant that 'they' couldn't be happy.

To say his mother was saddened by the news was a dire understatement. She was devastated. She was never seen to be her cheerful self any longer…she now was seen with puffy red eyes from crying and would shut herself in her bedroom for days on end.

She barely ate anything anymore. Tao had to more or less force feed everything to her.

At night…he would sometimes go to the bathroom and would pass his parents room. From inside, he could hear noises as well as the bed creaking---he hadn't a clue as to what they were doing---(such a naïve boy…tsk tsk…) but what really got to him was that he heard his mother's sobbing. Whatever they were doing was really traumatizing to her.

She never seemed to be seen without a box of Kleenex.

What really made him mad was that their fighting seemed to escalate dramatically. Now there was the sound of glass breaking, when something was thrown, his father's shouts and words were harsher and much louder. His mother was beginning to scream out her words in a high pitched screeched that made his ears flatten themselves tightly to his head.

He'd actually found his father sleeping in his study one Saturday morning. He'd nudged his father away and was told that he, Sesshoumaru, was just up late doing some paperwork.

Tao knew differently.

It was driving him insane!

To make matters worse his father was beginning to spend days on end at the office. One had to wonder where he was sleeping, showering, and such.

His mother was slowly, but surely coming back to her normal self. She was actually smiling a little more. That's good…isn't it?

Right.

Next week he was staying at his uncle Inuyasha's house. They were going to some motorcross races and some baseball games---something he COULDN'T wait for.

So all he had to do was wait…and then he would be able to get out of this stifling house of error.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

_**WARNING! SLIGHTLY FORCED LEMON CONTENT AHEAD!**_

Kagome sat down at her drawing table and was beginning to sketch out some designs for her clothing line, when the door of her study opened and quietly closed behind her.

She knew who it was. And she didn't want it to be them.

"What can I do for you, dearest husband?" She asked, continuing her sketching.

A hand touched her back and slipped underneath her sweatshirt, letting it slide to her front and resting on a breast.

Kagome swallowed and sighed.

"I honestly don't want anything to do with right now Sesshoumaru." She said quietly, trying to concentrate on the train of her dress.

Her husband leaned forward and nuzzled the base of her neck. "Your scent tells me otherwise, woman." He said, before darting his tongue out and licking the back of her neck.

Kagome gripped her pencil harder; hard enough to snap. She closed her eyes and clenched her hands into fists.

"Please…just leave me alone…" She whispered.

Sesshoumaru stopped his tongues ministrations and leaned back. He saw red. Immediately, he yanked her up from her seat, ignoring her startled screech, and began dragging her, by the hood of her sweatshirt up to their bedroom.

Slamming the door and locking it behind him, he threw her onto the floor and removed his Armani suit jacket. Kagome was glaring up at him and was panting in anger.

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, he just grabbed the front of her sweatshirt and tore it right from her body.

"Hey! What'd you--!" She was cut off by his mouth slanting onto hers making her gasp.

Sesshoumaru pulled away and licked his lips before lifting her from the floor and tossing his onto the bed. Climbing on so he lay next to her, he began kissing and biting her neck.

"Where's Tao?" He whispered, his warm breath fanning across her neck.

"At…at Inu-Inuyasha's…" She panted, hating herself more and more for allowing him to do this to her.

He was rough and wasn't caring at all at what she was feeling----whether it be pain or…or whatever. Their clothing was gone within seconds and she was gripping his bulging biceps as he heaved his hips into hers; lifting her completely from the bed.

It hurt.

There was no love in this joining. Just a senseless fuck. He was using her. And she was letting him.

She felt him climax. And just before she could, he pulled out and slipped back into his clothes and left the room without a word.

That's how it'd been for the past few months. Fight. Fuck. Cry. Fight. Fuck some more.

Still laying there with her legs bent and propped up, apart as well, her arms clutching the sheets at her sides, she came to a final conclusion.

Tomorrow…she'd be gone before the sun rose.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

**God I hated that chapter…Tell me what you think.**

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

**RisuBento**


	4. Chapter 4

**Like a Battery**

**By RisuBento**

**Chapter Four:**

**oo0O0oo**

* * *

****

The crowd cheered and roared with pleasure as their baseball team hit a home run. Tao was having a great time with his uncle Inuyasha. At the moment the only thing he was caring about was the nachos and cracker jacks that he was eating.

He didn't want to think about anything else.

"Hey uncle? What time is it?" He asked, raising his voice a bit over the crowd's cheering.

Inuyasha pulled his foam finger off and glanced at the watch. "About 8:45. Why!"

"Mother wanted me to call at around 9:30. That's all!" Tao yelled back.

Inuyasha nodded and jerked his head back around at the field when a batter struck.

"Take that you no good fuck ups!" Inuyasha yelled.

Tao's eyes grew wide at his uncle's word usage. "Fuck ups?" He asked.

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide and he instantly covered his nephew's mouth with a foam covered hand.

"Don't tell your mother I said that! She have my head for that! Not to mention my…uh…she'll just castrate me to hell." Inuyasha sputtered.

"Castrate?" Tao asked when his uncle removed his foam hand.

Inuyasha sighed and bent down to whisper. "She make sure I'll NEVER have kids. EVER."

Tao's eyes grew wide and he burst out laughing. Something he hadn't done in a long, long time.

After the baseball game, in which their team won 4-1, Inuyasha and Tao both headed back to his uncle's house.

"What do you plan on doing while I'm at work tomorrow, kiddo?" Inuyasha asked fiddling with his radio.

Tao shrugged. "I'll find something to do. You've got a Playstation II so…I think I'm set, don't you?" Tao smirked. Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head.

"Man…if your mother ever found out that all you're doing is pigging out on junk food and playing video games all day…man." Inuyasha grinned.

Tao sighed and leaned his head against the window. After the baseball game they'd gone out to eat at a local American 'pizzeria'. It was AWESOME! He should convince his parent's to take him there again sometime. Now, with his stomach full, he was beginning to droop to sleep when the car came to a stop.

"Come on kiddo. Time for bed." Inuyasha said, opening the driver's door and getting out.

Tao nodded and climbed out as well and sluggishly walked into the house. Walking up to his bedroom, he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed and fell into a hopefully, dreamless sleep.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

Waking up to the sound of his swearing uncle followed by crashes and the sound of breaking glass is something that confused the hell out of Tao.

Why the hell is up so dang early? He wondered as he noted the time to be 4:29 a.m. That's when the shrill sound of the phone ringing made him groan and throw the covers off of him.

Uncle Inuyasha probably can't find the stupid cordless phone…which was on the end table of his uncle's bed.

"On your end table, uncle!" He managed to yell out.

There was a pause in the thumping followed by a frustrated growl. His uncle picked up and spoke in a sleep-laden voice.

"Yeah? Who is it?…what?…Right now…why?…Oh… Well I guess. Yeah all right. See you in a few. Bye." Hearing the beep of the phone he was confused when his uncle appeared in his doorway.

"That was your mom. She's coming to get you. I guess you're both staying at your grandmothers." He said, yawning and beginning to doze off as he leaned against the doorway.

Tao swore that his stomach dropped to his toes. "This early?" He squeaked sitting up and waving frantically towards the digital clock next to him.

His uncle snorted in his semi-sleep.

Tao looked down at his hands in his lap and began to breathe hard. 'Why? Why can't they just get along?'

A quick ding of the doorbell and a door slamming, Tao broke from his thoughts and glared at the doorway where his mother appeared seconds later.

"Come Tao. We have to get going." She said, going over to his closet and pulling out his clothing.

Glancing back at the doorway, Tao noticed that his uncle was gone, probably back into the warm escapes of his bed. His mother was frantically trying to shove his clothing into his overnight bag. He knew it must be bad because she wasn't even folding them.

"Mom? What're you doing?" He asked, his fists clenching his blanket.

"Let's hurry Tao. I want to get to grandma's before she goes and does her grocery shopping." Kagome said, hurriedly tucking hair behind her ears.

"Where's father?" He asked, noticing a strange set of bruises on his mother's neck.

His mother paused and sighed.

"Tao…I know this'll be hard to understand…but---we're not going to be living with your father any longer." She said, resuming his packing.

Tao flumped back onto his bed and threw the covers over his head. He knew it.

"Tao sweetie…let's hurry. Please." She said, throwing the covers from him beginning to dress him.

Smacking her hands away, he got up and finished putting his shirt on. "I'm not a kid anymore mom! I can't dress myself!" He snarled.

Kagome's hands fell to her sides and she looked down at her feet---no doubt with tears in her eyes.

"You're right baby…I'm sorry." She said quietly, unshed tears coating her voice. Turning around she was about to close the door behind her when she turned back and spoke. "I'll…see you downstairs then."

Then she shut the door.

Tao angrily pulled his pants on zipped his bag up.

IT WASN'T FAIR!

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

Geh…that was a really boring chapter…I didn't like that one.

Any hoo…

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**RisuBento**

**Thank you to all those who reviewed!**

**Sometimes things suck**

**Ice Goddess Kitsune**

**n3ko-chan**

**Yenye**

**Whyshoulditellyou**

**Daughter of Sesshoumaru**

**Jackie O**

**teeagetomboy69**

**Faithful Vampire**

**yawn**

**Rabsi-babsy**

**lyn**

**Dark-Angel1793**

**waining-moon**

Thanks you so much again guys!


	5. Chapter 5

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Five:**

**oo0O0oo**

* * *

****

It'd been almost 3 months since Tao and his mother began staying at his grandmother's. Kagome never told him 'why' she'd left his father…and he never asked. He didn't want to know.

Now, it was winter and the flu was going around. Tao had already had two bouts of the stomach flu. He'd effectively passed it on to his mother and uncle. Souta had gotten better within a few days but his mother was vomiting a lot. She'd had it for almost a month now. She'd have high fevers and would be confined to her bed almost all the time.

Tao was worried sick. He'd begun staying in his mother's room, on a chair beside her bed at all times, just as she had done when he was sick. They'd gone to the doctor many times but she was only told that she needed to drink lots of fluids and have a lots and lots of rest.

Finally, about the 5th week in of her flu extravaganza, her fever broke and she was able to keep some chicken broth down.

He was so frickin' happy.

Inuyasha had come by and was now conversing in the living room with his, Tao's, mother and grandmother. They were talking about a Christmas get together or something.

"HEY!" His uncle Souta whined dramatically, for an 21 year old. "You cheated!"

Tao smirked and looked up at his uncle innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about uncle. You know as well as I do that I don't know how to play this game and am not very good at his so far."

Souta pouted and glared at the video game playing the tv screen.

Tao grinned and snickered. He'll never tell his uncle about the code he'd found off some website on the Internet.

"Hey Tao?" Came his mother's voice from the doorway. Turning around he smiled and found her standing there in his favorite light yellow sundress. (A/N: Shouldn't she be freezing her ass off? It's frickin' winter outside!)

"Yeah mom?" He asked, winding up the cord around his controller and putting it away in the drawer beneath the television.

"Your father…wants to talk to you." She said.

Tao hesitated before nodding and taking the phone with her.

"Hello?"

"Tao?" Came his father's booming voice.

"Yeah dad?" He asked, going up to his bedroom and closing the door.

There was a pregnant pause before his father spoke again. "I just…wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I know I forgot it last year. Your mother told me." Sesshoumaru admitted, rather painfully.

Tao felt a lump in his throat form. 'My birthday isn't for another week…'. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"When…are you and mom going to make up?" He asked quietly, glancing at the door to make his mother hadn't snuck up on him.

There was a painful pause on the other end and that was all he needed for an answer.

"I'll see you sometime dad… Bye." He said about to hang up when he heard a click on the other end.

Dang.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

His birthday was…okay. Nothing too extravagant. Just him, his mother, both his uncles and his grandmother. His grandmother had made an enormous double fudge cake with extra chocolate frosting---just the way he liked it.

That was DEEEEE---LICIOUS!

He'd gotten an assorted amount of gifts. A Playstation Portable from his Uncle Inuyasha, along with some games for it. A large assortment of art supplies from his mother. Which was VERY much appreciated. A knitted sweater from his grandmother that he'll probably 'NEVER' wear. And last, a portable discman, with a burned misc. CD from his uncle Souta.

He was now flopping onto his bed and opening his discman. No batteries. Hm. Maybe Grandma had some.

Standing up he was making his way down the stairs when his mother's and grandmother's voice caught his attention.

"…no sweetheart. There's nothing wrong with the way you feel. It's normal to have mixed emotions about your spouse when you're both separated---Oh hello, Tao." His grandmother said, noticing him in the doorway.

He saw his mother stiffen, before resuming her dish washing.

"I just…need some batteries for my CD player. Uncle Souta forgot to get some." He explained.

"Oh! Well…he DID get some but he forgot to wrap them with the gift." His grandmother chuckled and went over to a cabinet and withdrew a package of 10.

"Thanks." He said, taking the package and running back up to his room. Before long…his curiosity got the better of him and he quietly wandered back down the stairs.

Standing just out of sight, he listened to his mother and grandmother speak.

"…Sesshoumaru doesn't know when to stop. He…I know he's been seeing other women." Kagome said, drying her hands with a towel.

"Kagome…do you…love him?" His grandmother asked, leaning against the counter and drinking a cups of tea.

Kagome stilled her movements before sighing.

"Love? Love's…like a battery." His mother sighed. "Sometimes it lasts forever…other times…the juice inside just runs out and…dies."

'Batteries?' He wondered.

It was about 5 minutes later did he realize that they weren't going to be talking any longer, so he trudged his way back upstairs and into his room. Stripping down to his boxers he jumped onto his bed and hissed in pain when something sharp jabbed him in the back.

Pulling it out from underneath him, he quirked an eyebrow when he saw that it was his battery package. Just when he was about to toss it onto the floor a single word on the plastic package caught his attention.

"Rechargeable batteries…" He said quietly to himself.

He recalled his mother's words. "Love is like batteries…it can last forever…other times…the juice inside dries up and…dies."

Suddenly, it hit him. "If batteries can be recharged…couldn't love?"

Brilliant.

**0**

**oo0O0oo**

**0**

* * *

**There. Another stinky chapter. I tell ya… I'm not really getting into the groove here today.**

**TODAY IS MY ½ BIRTHDAY! YAAAAAAAAAAY! July 29th!**

**REVIEW!**

**RisuBento**

**Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Six:**

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *

The next day, Tao sat down and began brainstorming.

'I should be able to 'recharge' their relationship if there's a way I could---Ah crap! I need help!'

Standing up in frustration, he ventured downstairs to the kitchen and was surprised to find his uncle Inuyasha snooping through the cupboards.

"Uncle?" He asked.

Inuyasha yelped and jumped around.

"I wasn't looking for anything! Nothing! I swear!" He admonished hurriedly.

Tao quirked an eyebrow. "Ramen's in the cupboard to your left."

Inuyasha flinched, before speeding towards the cupboard. Tao shook his head and was dialing a friends phone number when his uncle spoke.

"Your mom was wanting me to take you somewhere today." He said, watching the water in the pot----almost seemingly trying to will it to boil.

Tao paused and hung up the phone when he suddenly had an idea. "Sure." He grinned in a strange way that made Inuyasha back up and swallow nervously.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Inuyasha sighed. Him and Tao were both sitting in the food court at the mall and were currently finishing off their "all you can eat Ramen" buffet lunch.

"You have no idea how much this cost me, ya know." He warned.

Tao shrugged and slurped the last bit of his noodles.

When he set his cup aside, he took out a small pocket sized notebook and a pencil.

"Hey uncle? Where did my mother and father go on their first date?" He asked, waiting to scribble down some notes.

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow furrowed his eyebrows. "What? You a news reporter now?" He grinned.

Tao frowned and waited, making an impatient hand gesture.

"All right, all right…um…I think they went to an Italian restaurant…uh… Bilotti's? Yeah." His uncle surrendered leaning forward so his elbows were resting on the table.

Tao nodded and quickly wrote down the name.

"Why? What're you planning to do?" Inuyasha asked, growing suspicious.

Tao smirked and pocketed the notebook. "Nothing that concerns old men like you."

"OI! I ain't old! I'm only 27!" Inuyasha protested heatedly. Tao burst out laughing.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Now, alone and back in his room, Tao sat down at his laptop and began typing in Microsoft Word.

"Operation: Recharge…" He said aloud as he typed it in.

"First date…" Then he typed "Bilotti's" underneath that category.

The second category was, "First Kiss…"

'This one might take a while…' He thought as he wasn't sure whom to ask…his mother or his father. His mother was still a little to fragile when it came to speaking about his father and his father…NEVER spoke about anything that had to do with lip locking and…well. THAT. Or basically anything that had to do with him and Kagome.

Who to ask…GRANDMA!

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Meanwhile…

"Kagome? Where're you heading off to?" Rei Higurashi asked her daughter.

Kagome looked up from buttoning her coat and sighed.

"The doctor's office called and said that I can go in and get an early hysterectomy…they have an opening and wanted to do a quick check before it." She said quietly, slipping her boots on.

"Oh…were you planning on telling me that you were leaving?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, looking somewhat hurt.

"No. I didn't want you to worry."

"Kagome! You're getting surgery! Of course I'm going to worry over my baby girl…" Mrs. Higurashi said.

Kagome sighed and hugged her mother.

"Will you…come with me?" She asked quietly.

"Well, silly, I was going to come whether or not you refused." Mrs. Higurashi said, taking her jacket from the hook.

Kagome smiled and rung her hands together in nervousness.

"Tao's supposed to be staying with his father for a couple days…" She suddenly said, climbing into her car.

Her mother sat down into the passenger's seat and frowned. "Did Sesshoumaru call and ask him too?"

"No…Tao asked if he could." Kagome sighed putting the car into reverse.

"Well…he IS the man's son after all." Mrs. Higurashi pointed out.

Kagome nodded and stopped at a red light.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao was packing his bags, frowning when moments ago he saw his grandma and mother leave his mother's car. Crap. Now he had to wait a couple days to ask about his mother and father's first kiss whereabouts. When the doorbell rang and he quickly zipped his bags shut and ran down the stairs.

Souta was standing at the door glaring at an ever stoic looking Sesshoumaru, but was nevertheless letting him in.

"Father!" Tao chimed, running forward and throwing his arms around the man's waist.

Again, Sesshoumaru looked uncomfortable and was reluctant to hug his son back.

He did so, albeit slowly.

"Are you ready?" He asked, looking down at the top of his only son's obsidian hair.

'He must be wearing his charm…his ears are hidden.' He thought.

"Hai! Let's get going." Tao said, picking his bag up and heading towards the door.

Sesshoumaru watched his son put his jacket on and go outside, before turning back to Souta who was standing with his arms crossed and leaning against the doorway.

"Tell your sister that Tao will be back on Wednesday." He said surprisingly quiet.

Souta hesitated, still glaring, before nodding.

With that, Sesshoumaru turned and left the house. Reaching the bottom of the shrine steps he noticed that his son was already standing next to his Lamborghini.

"I have to quickly stop at the office and do a moments paperwork. It will only be a few minutes." He said, clicking the automatic unlocking button on his keychain.

"That's fine." Tao said.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow. 'He HATES going to the office…why the sudden…joyfulness?' He pondered before shaking his head and climbing into the drivers side.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Kagome Kagiyama?" Came a voice from the doorway. Kagome immediately looked up and saw a smiling doctor.

"That's me…" She answered quietly, standing up and handing her mother her coat.

"Good morning, Mrs. Kagiyama. How are you fairing this morning?" Asked the nice looking man.

"All right, a little under the weather, but nothing too brutal." Kagome smiled.

It was true. She'd gotten sick once again that morning after she'd smelled the scent of her mother's cooking in the kitchen.

"That's good. Now how about you hop up onto the bed and we'll feel if there's anything abnormal today." The doctor said, motioning towards the paper covered bed. Kagome did so and was told to lift her shirt so her midriff was exposed.

The doctor began apply pressure to her abdomen with his warm hands and was now putting his extremely cold stethoscope to her belly. Everything was going fine until he paused his ministrations at her bulge of fat below her bellybutton. He hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows, which further made Kagome nervous.

"Is something the matter?" She asked. The doctor didn't say anything. He just moved over to a cabinet and extracted a machine looking thing.

"An ultra sound machine?" She wondered aloud.

"When was the last time you had your period?" He asked, setting the monstrosity of a machine up.

Kagome frowned. 'When DID I have my last period?' "I…I don't know." She admitted, quite hesitantly.

The doctor nodded and took out a warmed tube of jelly and some rubber gloves. Slipping the gloves on, he began spreading some of the jelly onto her abdomen, as the machine warmed up.

Kagome was beginning to get worried. 'He used the same machine for when I was pregnant with Tao. Why is taking it out now?'

The doctor, without speaking, picked up the ultra sound handle thing and placed it onto her abdomen.

Kagome fearfully looked at the television screen and watched as something appeared onto the screen.

The doctor nodded to himself and turned the machine off.

"Doctor? What…what's wrong with me?" She asked.

The doctor looked up and smiled. "Are you sure you want to have the hysterectomy this early?"

"Well…since there's an opening then…yes. Why? Is there something wrong?" She asked, watching him pause in cleaning her belly off.

"Mrs. Kagiyama…you're pregnant. Congratulations."

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

There. I didn't like that chapter either. Not so much of Tao…but you did get a gist of his **"Operation: Recharge"…**yeah.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! It makes me very happy and very motivated to write more:

**Faithful Vampire** : Did I get it right this time? I'm so sorry:Bashes head into the wall a couple more times before pausing and then continuing:

**teenagetomboy69**

**sometimes things suck**

**Yenye**

**kitsune ninja:** WAAH! I'm sorry! But hey! At least now I know my dollar store magic book has proven to work! I can hypnotize you into reading my story! Muwahaha!

**Kilala shippo**

**Jackie O**

**Ice Goddess Kitsune**

**ILOVEInuyasha07**

**Oo0O0oO**

**Thank you!**

**REVIEW!**

**RisuBento**

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Seven:**

**Oo0O0oO**

**

* * *

**

Kagome sat crying in her car, her mother was driving while Kagome sniffled from the passenger's seat.

"I'm so happy for you Kagome. This is such a nerve racking surprise!" Mrs. Higurashi said, stopping at a street light.

Kagome sniffled. She felt like throwing up again. Only this time, it'll be in the little ice cream bucket on her lap and NOT on the doctor. She sighed at the memory that had happened only moments before. When the doctor had told her that she was pregnant, she'd tensed up and released her entire stomach contents----which wasn't much but still enough to cover the entire front of the doctors white lab coat.

To say that she'd been mortified was clearly and understatement. She was beyond HORRIFIED! And the fact that she was pregnant! Gah!

Suddenly…the thought hit her and she lunged an hand to her mother's arm, effectively startling the woman into swerving slightly on the road.

"Mom! I can't be pregnant! The doctor at the other health clinic told me that I'm not able to have anymore kids." She said in a rush that actually made her dizzy with the lack of air.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and put a hand over her daughters. "Doctors make mistakes Kagome."

"But…" Kagome trailed off quietly. 'Doctors don't make mistakes when it comes to life altering changes…can they?' She wondered.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

The office.

It sounded like it would be a quaint little building with nice flowering plants outside below the windows and a small but decorative landscape.

But no.

The office was a 182 floor skyscraper in the middle of downtown Tokyo. Tao stood from his father's car and had to bend his back backwards to almost see the top of the building. It was overcast that day so the very last floors were obscured by the clouds.

"Come." Was all his father said, before heading towards the revolving doors. Tao smiled. When he was younger, he'd always hang onto the door's handle and would swing around in circles, as the door was continuously revolving in circles, until his father would growl low in his throat, warning him.

Entering behind his father, he was instantly swarmed with "Good afternoon young master." after his father had been properly addressed. He scrunched up his nose. Tao hated it when people called him that. It just irked him.

There was a line of elevators lined up against the back wall in the grand entrance hall, but there was one with a set of gold doors that was only for the 'important' figures. That elevator was only allowed for those that worked on the highest levels of the building----in which his father was most definitely on the highest.

The elevator dinged and opened when he had raced in front of his father and pushed the 'up' arrow button.

Sesshoumaru sighed and shook his head, stepping into the contraption. He looked down at the top of his son's black head and frowned.

"Remove your charm." He said, watching as the doors closed.

Tao furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at his father. "What for?"

"I do not like them." He said, removing the gold cuff links from his sleeves. Immediately his features changed. A blue crescent moon appeared in the middle of his forehead, along with two crimson stripes on either side of his face.

Tao sighed and removed the beaded bracelet from his wrist. His features changed as well. Two little black doggy-ears popped up from his scalp and began twitching like crazy. You're probably wondering why he didn't have any markings on his face like his father. Well… when Tao becomes of age in the demon world----which was 17----then the family markings would be tattooed into his skin----proving his heritage to the Kagiyama name.

His ears hurt like crap! They weren't really noticeable during the day but after being squished down by a concealment spell all day, it felt good to be able to move them freely again.

Sesshoumaru grunted in approval and looked up the lighted numbers. Tao looked up as well and groaned…only on level 34…148 more levels to go…

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Good afternoon Sesshoumaru-sama. I have the paper work you requested, finished and sitting on your desk, sir." Came the calm, yet nervous sounding voice of his father's 'ever-faithful' secretary, Rin Takeda.

Rin Takeda was madly in love with his father. She didn't even know that she was so readable. She was always so nervous around him and was blushing whenever Sesshoumaru talked to her or looked at her.

Well…she couldn't have him. Not if his "Operation: Recharge" was in process. Tao would see to it.

Just as they were arriving at his father's office, another woman cut them off. She was tall and slender and just a wee bit to much lipstick on her lips---which looked as though they'd been sucked down a pool drain.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…you remember our little outing planned for tonight?" She cooed, wrapping her arm around his father's.

Tao stopped in his tracks. What was this woman doing? Who 'was' this woman?

"Of course Kagura. This Sesshoumaru would not forget." His father said, walking to his office door and taking out his key. Tao watched in horror when his father turned to the woman latched onto his arm and leaned down to give her a peck on the lips.

His jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The 'Kagura' woman turned to leave only to pause when she saw Tao standing there behind them.

"And who is this handsome young stud?" She cooed, leaning forward, with her hands on her knees, so she was eye level with him.

"Kagura. This is my son Tao. Tao…this is Kagura." Sesshoumaru said, glancing over his shoulder as he entered his elegant office.

"Well aren't you just sweet." She smirked, reaching forward and pinching his cheek----HARD.

When she was called away, at that moment, Tao shot into his father's office and sank into a comfy leather chair.

"Who was that woman father?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer he probably already knew.

Sesshoumaru was silent as he went around his desk and sat down in his leather swivel chair. Without looking up from the computer screen at his desk, he answered his son's question.

"She is a woman that I have been seeing since…" He paused in his words. He looked away from his computer and glanced at his son. Tao was sitting in the chair doodling almost nervously in his little pocket sized notebook. His son's ears twitched and flicked back and forth every now and then.

Tao knew what he was going to say. 'Since before you and your mother left.'

Tao had an inkling that his father had been seeing another woman. One way he could tell was that he'd sometimes come home with the stench of a different brand of perfume than any of his mothers, all over his clothing. Another way, was a stray earring in his father's suit jacket. His mother 'never' wore gaudy hoop earrings. She wore the long, articulately and elegantly beaded ones with different twists in the metals and such.

Definitely wasn't his mothers.

Tao looked up from his notebook and at his father, whom was at the moment watching him.

"Where's the bathroom?" He asked, sitting up.

Sesshoumaru looked back to his computer and sighed. "To your left, the second door in." He said. Tao nodded and looked at the 4 doors on the east wall of his father's office. He knew that at least two of them were rooms full of important documents and another was a closet. The second one in was most definitely the bathroom. If the big "W.C." lettering on the door didn't give it away then he didn't know what would.

Trudging over to the oak door, he opened it and felt around for the light switch on the wall. Finding it, he flipped it on. Locking the door behind him, he went over to the toilet and put the lid down. Sighing he plopped down on it (A/N: He's not going to the bathroom…yep.) and flipped to a new page in his notebook.

"Operation: Get rid of Kagura". He spoke smiling smugly at the grand idea.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

**BOOOORRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!**

**That was probably THE most idiotic chapter I've ever done!**

**Sorry about not updating yesterday (for those who care)…I was not able to get to sleep until 4 in the morning. Then my baboon-of-a-brother Ben (he's 10 and as cute as hell) woke me up 4 hours later at 8 by his early morning ritual of barging into my room and chanting "Monkey Soap" over and over again while letting my dog lick my face. THEN I fell back to sleep at about 9:30 and I didn't wake up until about 4 in the afternoon. My mom didn't bother to wake me up(which I'm insanely glad for!).**

**After I woke up, it was too late to take my medication (I have ADD) so I was like "Fuck it! No one knows where I live so they can't hunt me down, hang me by my toenails and tickle me to death. They can wait a day…right?"**

**So…here it is!**

**REVIEW!**

**Thank you to EVERYONE who's reviewed! It utterly motivates me when I get so many.**

**RisuBento**

**P.S.: Just so you know…I ain't ticklish. So if you ever come up to me and jab your fingers into my ribs---don't expect to still have those fingers after that.**

**Ta, lovlies!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Rant**:_ I would just like to say that someone rated this story an obvious low rating and I just wanted to say that I honestly think that it doesn't deserve it. I was at all 10's except for one and when I came back I was at low 8's. Please. Whomever the low rater is, please email me and tell me what I am doing wrong and I'll do whatever I can to make this story much more enjoyable for you._

Thanks.

**Disclaimer**: _I own nothing._

**Like a Battery**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Eight:**

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

Tao sat on his bed and watched as his father exit his car with the woman from earlier that day. Kagura was her name, right?

They looked to be having a nice time.

"Crap…" He mumbled, blowing a bubble with his bubble gum.

He watched as Kagura flipped her hair over her shoulder in an obvious flirting gesture.

Rolling his eyes, Tao glance back down at his little notebook and read "Operation: Get Rid of Kagura". The page was blank otherwise.

'This'll never work…' He groaned tossing himself onto his bed.

"Tao! Come here for a moment!" Came his father's gruff voice.

Sighing, Tao stood and ventured from the room and came waltzing lazily down the grand staircase.

"Yeah dad?" He asked, crossing his arms.

His father was currently chatting quietly with a maid, Kagura standing next to him---which was too close for comfort for Tao. Sesshoumaru looked up and grimaced at his son's casual attire.

"Keep Kagura company for a moment while I tend to some important matters." Was all he said before turning and heading into his study.

Tao quirked an eyebrow and looked down at the heavily made-up woman standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come down here and let's get to know one another, shall we?" She asked, sitting on a step and patting the one next to her.

Tao didn't say anything, he just did as he was told.

"So…how old are you?" She asked.

"14. My birthday was last week." He answered, sporting his father's monotonous voice.

"Well happy belated birthday." Kagura smiled a sickeningly sweet pearly white smile.

"Why? How old are you?" Tao asked, suddenly liking where this was going.

Kagura paused in re-clipping her hair and looked at him with wide eyes before laughing.

"Well aren't you a cheeky little kid. I believe that's none of your business." She smiled resuming with her clipping.

Tao shrugged. "I'm only doing the polite thing. So how old 'are' you?"

Kagura paused again.

"I'm 24. There, happy?" She snapped, wiping some of her lipstick onto the carpeted staircase before reapplying some more.

"Not really. Father never really liked younger women. He says they're too…'fresh'. Are you fresh?" Tao asked, trying desperately attempting to hold down his laughter at the look of horror on her face.

"I…don't---You probably don't even know what that means do you?" She said, smugly.

Tao shrugged and crossed his arms again. He looked away towards the crystal chandelier before speaking again.

"Father says that women who're 'fresh' are too clingy and wear too much perfume and not enough deodorant." He said, not moving his eyes from the elegant light fixture.

To his utter delight, Kagura froze and from the corner of his eye, he saw her lean her head down and attempt to discreetly smell her armpit.

"Do you like my father?" Tao asked, finally looking back into the youkai's crimson eyes.

"Of course I do. He's charming and has good taste." She answered haughtily, scrutinizing her nails.

"In other words you just want him for his money?" Tao smirked.

Kagura shot up and snapped. "How dare you! You actually think that I'd want him for his money?"

"Hey…" He said shrugging, "…if the shoe fits…"

"You little son of--- Sesshoumaru!" She suddenly squealed hopping gracefully down the stairs towards his father who'd exited his office only seconds earlier.

In his hands he carried a manila folder. Looking up when he heard his name, he caught the lunging Kagura and was shocked when she'd forcefully kissed him.

Tao scowled and growled low when Kagura opened her eyes and glared at him.

Sesshoumaru pushed her away and was guiding her to the door in a rush when she told him to stop.

"I just wanted to say goodbye to your adorable son first." She smiled.

Tao's eyes grew wide and he took a step back only to be yanked into a bear hug.

"Just you wait you little bastard hanyou…I'll be your father's bitch before you can even say, "Step-mother." She hissed so quietly into his ear that his father hadn't even heard.

Tao swallowed and smacked his gum. His eyes suddenly grew wide and he grinned. Slipping a finger into his mouth and taking the gum out, he threw his arms around Kagura's neck, squishing his hands into her hair.

"That's enough Tao." Sesshoumaru said to his son and girlfriend.

Tao pulled back and grinned a grin that made Kagura swallow nervously.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the office, then Sesshou…" Kagura smiled, turning back to Tao's father, taking the manila folder from his hands, and leaning up to kiss him.

Tao turned away and darted up the stairs to his room, not wanting to be in the same room when it was all sappy, yappy.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome sighed as she drank from a bottled water. It was all wrong. She wasn't suppose to be pregnant! It was so hard to believe. First, she'd been told that she was unable to have anymore children and now here she is----3 months later----pregnant.

Putting a hand to her slightly rounded belly, she sniffled. She'd been thinking for the past couple months that she'd been gaining weight. She'd thought that the bulge of her belly was fat!

But no. It was life growing inside of her.

It was _'his' _child.

The realization had hit her hard earlier and she had just now finished her crying fest. She didn't want anything to do with that two-timing bastard----she didn't want to have anything that reminded her of him.

Come to think of it…she wasn't exactly miss fidelity herself. There was a guy…she'd been seeing on and off about a year ago. It was just sex. Sesshoumaru had been off on 'business' trips and was never there. So Kagome went AWOL. She'd only stopped when she'd realized what she'd been doing and was neglecting her own child's attention. After that, she'd never so much as ogled at another man.

Now…here she was. Separated from her husband, pregnant and living at her mothers. Hoo-boy!

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagura climbed into the limo waiting outside of Sesshoumaru's mansion. Telling the driver the directions to her condominium, she flipped open her cell phone and dialed.

After three rings the person answered.

"Have you the files?" They asked.

"Yes. I'm just leaving the Kagiyama mansion." She spoke, running her fingers through her hair.

"Good."

"Naraku? What good will these files do? They're just insurance documents and---" She paused and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion when her fingers connected with something…foreign in the back of her hair.

"Kagura?"

Kagura didn't answer as she took hold of the glob and pulled----effectively spreading the gooeyness further into her hair. Throwing her phone down in a hurry, her breathing increasing, she whipped open a compact mirror and screamed.

"That little son of bitch!"

"KAGURA!" Naraku snarled into the phone.

"That little arrogant son of bitch stuck fucking gum into my hair!" She shrieked.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao had just finished brushing his teeth when a knock on his bedroom door alerted his senses. Sniffing the air, he sighed when his father's scent invaded his nostrils.

"Come in father." He said, jumping onto his bed and pulling the covers back.

Sesshoumaru opened the door nonchalantly and ventured over to his sons bed.

Uh-oh…he didn't look happy. Not one bit.

"I just received a call from Kagura." He spoke evenly, stopping next to Tao's bed and crossing his arms.

"Kagura? 10 minutes go by and she already misses you?" Tao said cheekily, rolling his eyes.

"It seems that she found a wad of gum in her hair and she wanted to know how it'd gotten there." Sesshoumaru said, narrowing his eyes.

Tao gulped. "Well you see…the way it happened…was…um…GOOD NIGHT FATHER!" He yelled, diving under his covers and clutching a pillow over his head.

"Why did you do it?" Sesshoumaru snarled, yanking the pillow from his son's head.

Tao smiled sheepishly up to his father, who was glaring at him and clenching his fists so tightly they were turning white in color.

"I don't like her father." He stated.

"So you put gum in her hair! I honestly thought that I'd raised you better than that!" Sesshoumaru retorted, chucking Tao's pillow at a wall, where it bounced off and landed on the floor in a dull flump.

Tao snapped. "You didn't raise me! Mother did! You were never around to raise me! You were always on supposed 'business' trips when you were really with some woman!" He yelled, standing on his bed.

Sesshoumaru, who was known for NOT showing emotion, looked shocked.

"How…how long have you known?" Sesshoumaru asked, choosing his words carefully.

"I can't remember but last year I found an earring in your pocket that didn't belong to mother." Tao said, huffing and crossing his arms.

Sesshoumaru sighed and swept an elegant clawed hand through his hair, before sitting down on his son's computer chair.

"I am…sorry." He said quietly. Tao knew that, that revelation for his father was so utterly painful. But he couldn't accept it.

"I think mother needs it more than I do." He said sinking back underneath his covers.

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and slouched in the swivel computer chair.

"Father?"

"Hn?" He grunted, showing that he was listening.

"Where did you and mother first kiss?" Tao asked, holding the blanket up to his nose so his father wouldn't be able to see his grin.

Sesshoumaru tensed and blinked up at his son. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment before standing and moving towards the door.

Tao sighed and was sure that he wasn't going to be answered when his father's voice broke the silence.

"Under the Goshinboku." He said, his hand resting on the door's handle.

Tao beamed.

"Thanks dad." He said, closing his eyes.

His father said nothing. Just opened the door and left.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

**OOOHHH! Sesshoumaru's opened up a little:GASP:**

**I thought that, that chapter was so boring as well.**

**Oh well.**

**Oh and just to clarify…Kagome is '3' months pregnant. Thanks for the great question waining-moon!**

**REVIEW!**

**Oo0O0oO**

**Thank you to all that have reviewed!**

**ILOVEInuyasha07**

**sometimes things suck**

**Deborah L.**

**VashLVR**

**lyn**

**n3ko-chan**

**teenagetomboy69**

**waining-moon**

**kitsune ninja**

**Sarah**

**Please forgive me if I forgot anyone!**

**RisuBento**

**Here's the phrase of the day:**

_"Anmari suki-ja nai."_

**Translation:** _"I don't like it very much."_

Ta, Lovelies!

RisuBento


	9. Chapter 9

**+Like a Battery+**

**By: RisuBento**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Chapter Nine:**

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *

"I can't believe you're asking me to do this!" Tao's uncle, Inuyasha, hissed, clutching the phone tightly in his hand. 

"Come on uncle! It's an important part of the plan!" Tao whined.

"What plan?" Inuyasha asked, flopping down onto his leather couch.

"Agree to do it and I'll tell you." Tao bargained.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this if I agree to help you?" Inuyasha groaned.

"You won't. Now, do we have a deal?" Tao asked, waiting semi-patiently on his side of the phone.

Inuyasha sighed and pondered. Glancing at the clock he came to a conclusion.

"Fine. I'll do it----BUT! Under one condition." He warned quickly.

Tao sighed. "And that would be?"

"A years supply of ramen. Every flavor."

"Done."

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Kagome!" Came Mrs. Higurashi's call from downstairs.

Kagome sighed and took one last glance at herself in the mirror before leaving the room. Pretty soon she wouldn't be able to wear her business suits. She'll be bigger than a baby whale.

Venturing down the stairs and entering the kitchen, she found her mother cooking at the stove, something Kagome smiled fondly at. When she was still in high school, she could remember coming down the stairs every single morning for breakfast to find her mother cooking food at the stove.

"Good morning mama." She said, going to the fridge and pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Oh Kagome you're up. Good. Inuyasha just called and said that he's wanting to give you a ride to work." Mrs. Higurashi said, scrambling some eggs into some fried rice.

"Inuyasha called and asked that? Mama…I think hell just froze over." Kagome chuckled. Mrs. Higurashi smiled and looked up to watch her daughter.

"Are you planning on telling Sesshoumaru?" She asked, turning her attention back to the food.

Kagome looked down at the orange she was swirling around in her glass. "I don't know. I know I'll have to sooner or later. I…just don't want to yet." She said. " 'I'm' still trying to get used to it." She added quietly.

Mrs. Higurashi nodded and emptied the fried rice into a bento box. "I made your lunch. Have a nice day sweetie."

Kagome looked up from her glass and slowly smiled. Just like in high school. "Thanks mom." She said, taking the box and heading towards the door.

Just as the slipped her 3-inch heeled shoes on, she saw Inuyasha walk up the back steps of the door.

Smiling she yanked the door open, thoroughly startling the hanyou.

"Good morning Inuyasha. How are you?" She asked, stepping outside onto the back step.

Her brother-in-law shrugged keh'd. "Same old. Nothing exciting." He answered.

"You need a life Inuyasha." She sighed, before laughing at his protesting face.

"Let's go wench. You don't wanna be late do ya?" He asked, taking out his keys and selecting the right one.

"No. And now that you mention it, why did you want to drive me to work?" She asked, walking next to him down the long stretch of shrine stairs.

Inuyasha visibly flinched and a nervous gestation possessed his hands. "Can't your brother-in-law be nice for once? Come on wench. I ain't THAT cold hearted."

Kagome smiled and waited for him to unlock and open her door. After he did and she climbed into the front seat of his nice car, she sighed and turned to him with a quirked eyebrow.

"You're not very good at lying, Inuyasha. You never have been." She said.

Inuyasha growled, making her laugh. "Look I just wanted to say that I have a friend who's single and he's looking in the market. I thought of you. If you're not ready to start dating again than that's fine." He said.

Kagome frowned. "You mean like a blind date?"

"Keh. Whatever you women call it these days." He snorted, pulling out into traffic.

Kagome turned her gaze back to her window. Was she ready to start dating again? Was she emotionally ready too?

The problem was, was that she KNEW she wasn't entirely over Sesshoumaru. Deep down, she knew that he would always be a part of her and no one would be able to take that place. But…she wasn't 'with' him any longer. Maybe…maybe she'd feel better if she met someone else…to keep her mind off of current matters. Off of 'him'.

Sighing, she turned her attention back to the driver and smiled. "I guess I can give it a shot. When is it?" She asked.

Inuyasha looked mildly surprised. His eyebrows rose so high they disappeared beneath his bangs and he visibly relaxed the tenseness from his body. "Er…this Friday. 7:00. He said that he'd pick you up if you agreed to go out with him."

Kagome nodded. "All right. That sounds good. Casual or formal?" She asked.

"Formal." He answered a little too quickly. Kagome quirked her eyebrow once again before shaking her head.

"All right. Tell him that I'll be more than happy to go out with him." She said.

"Keh." He scoffed, pulling into her warehouses' parking lot.

"Thank you for the ride, Inuyasha." She smiled, before leaning over and pecking him on the cheek. Inuyasha swallowed hard and scowled when she giggled.

"What now?" He demanded.

"My lipstick just came off that's all." She giggled, taking a tissue from her designer's bag and wiping his cheek.

"K-keh." He stuttered, flinching and leaning away from her.

"See you later!" She smiled, before hopping out into the wintery weather.

Inuyasha waited until she was inside of the building before pulling out his cell phone and dialing. The person answered on the fifth ring.

"I got her. She's agreed to meet Kouga on Friday." He said. "Don't forget my ramen----hey! HELLO? Dammit, Tao! There goes your Christmas presents!" He yelled, throwing his phone onto the passenger's seat.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao hung up on his uncle just as he said 'ramen' and did an unnatural girly squeal of excitement.

"Master Tao? Are you well?" Came a British accent.

Tao flushed and whirled around to find the butler standing there with a concerned expression on his face.

"Uh…yeah! Everything's fine, Keitaro. See ya later!" He called, running from the kitchen and up to his bedroom. Closing the door and flopping onto his bed, he pulled out his pocket sized notebook and smiled.

"Good. Everything's going to plan. Now to call Kagura and apologize…heh. And then set up a date for her and his father at the same restaurant as mom and Kouga." He planned. 'If his father's temper is as easy to spark as they said it was, then surely he would become jealous at seeing mother with another man…'

Tao smiled bitterly before writing down a list of new ideas.

"Operation: Recharge is underway!" He smiled.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagura sat at her vanity and was grumbling and frantically trying to get a new look going with her knew 'hair cut'.

"That little brat…" She snarled. Her shoulder length ebony tresses were now cut short into a French bob. It was SO wrong.

"I'll make that little brat suffer. Mark my words."

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

There. 

REVIEW!

Thank you so much everyone for reviewing! It's makes me so happy when you do!

Thank you:

Lass

Em

Kitsune ninja

teenagetomboy69

Sarah

Kasai Inuyoukai

waining-moon

Sako

Insane-and-Psycho

arielle

Blue Rhapsody3

lyn

And my deepest and most sincere apologies to "Ice Goddess Kitsune"…I'm her beta… and I forgot to put her name up yesterday:Runs and bangs head against wall multiple times: Please forgive me Ice-chan!

Thanks!

**Phrase of the Day:**

_"Sore iiwake janai!"_

**Translation:** _"That's not a good excuse!"_

**REVIEW!**

**RisuBento**


	10. Chapter 10

**+Like a Battery+**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Ten:**

**Author's Rant:** _WOO-HOO! This is the very FIRST story that I've ever been able to pass the 10th chapter! Yay for me!_

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing._

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *

Kagome stood looking in her full length mirror, frowning. Turning to her side, she let out a frustrated growl when her slight bulge of a belly stuck out, like a sore thumb.

She tried sucking in----she couldn't hold her breath for very long. She tried multiple outfits on---NOTHING WAS WORKING!

Finally, she flumped down onto her bed and sighed. Hearing a knock at the door, she grunted, whoever they were, entrance. Glancing up, she smiled softly at the gentle brown of her mother's eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be ready, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, gesturing towards her daughter's apparel of a fluffy pink bathrobe and bunny slippers.

"It's hopeless, mama…I can't wear anything without by belly sticking out." Kagome whined, flopping onto her back.

"Oh Kagome…you're only 3 months pregnant. Your belly is NOT that big yet." Mrs. Higurashi shook her head and ventured over to her daughter's closet.

"I don't know if I'm ready to do this mama…" Kagome admitted, curling diligently into a fetal position, all the while clutching her pillows.

"Well…it's a little late to be saying that, dear. Trust me. You'll have a nice time. It's about time you got out to places other than work. You NEED to meet knew people. You need to start over." Mrs. Higurashi said, sifting through her daughter's extensive wardrobe.

Kagome yawned. 'Mama's right…I've been cooped up in this stuffy old house, feeling sorry for myself, for far too long. Yeah…this'll be nice for a change.'

"Here we are!" Came Mrs. Higurashi's cheery sing-songy voice.

Kagome sat up and stared at the dress her mother held in her hands.

"Mama? I wore that when I was pregnant with Tao." She warned.

"Kagome…it's a nice evening dress. Formal, yet casual. Besides…it's loose and you won't have to worry about your whale of a belly sticking out in people's faces---"

"---Mother!" Kagome gasped and yelled, throwing a pillow at her laughing mother.

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist!" Mrs. Higurashi chuckled, while handing her daughter the dress.

"It's almost 6 o'clock. I hope you'll have enough time to get ready." She warned, closing the door as she left Kagome's room.

Kagome looked down at the dress in her lap and pouted.

"I'm nothin' but a fat chicken…" She mumbled, slipping her robe off.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Sesshoumaru finished tying his tie when he heard his bedroom door slowly creak open. Glancing at the room's reflection in the mirror, he saw his son dash into the room and jump onto the bed.

Shaking his head, he spoke. "Aren't you supposed to be leaving with Inuyasha?" He asked.

"No. Inuyasha had a change of plans. He's coming to pick me up at 8 instead of 7. Said something about his sink overflowing…again." Tao smirked and stifled his laughter into his father's pillow.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and snorted. Clipping the cuff links onto his sleeve cuffs, he watched in boredom and regret as his youkai features completely disappeared.

"Father? When do you plan on being home?" Tao asked, snuggling beneath the covers.

Sesshoumaru slipped his dress coat on and sighed.

"It is undecided. I will however be back before dawn. Do not stay up past midnight. You have school tomorrow." Sesshoumaru warned, giving a knowing stare to his son.

Tao nodded and yawned before closing his eyes.

Pausing in his dressing, Sesshoumaru took a moment to gaze over his son. The little doggy ears were twitching sleepily every now and then.

'How could I have hated hanyou's so much…when I have created one so…perfect?' He wondered lazily to himself.

Walking over to his dozing son, he reached out and ran his now humanoid hands through Tao's obsidian tresses, before leaning down and kissing him on the brow.

'I love you…my son.' He thought to himself, unable to say it allowed.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome smiled as Kouga pulled out her chair for her, then diligently scooting it in when she sat down. Looking down at herself, she reminded herself to give her mother credit for picking out her dress. Her mother 'still' had taste. Her dress was black with a low u-neck shape. It was loose from the seam just below her breasts, allowing her belly to 'not' show; ending above her knees. On her feet she had a pair of matching black stilettos. Her hair was half up in a messy bun and the other half curled in gentle ringlets; cascading down her bareback.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Kagome." Kouga smiled, taking a seat across from her.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you Kouga. And you look very handsome yourself." She giggled. 'God! I 'hate' giggling!' She mentally smacked herself.

"So Kagome, tell me about yourself." Kouga smiled while sipping his wine, which the waiter had just brought.

Kagome smiled and pretended to drink the wine. "Well, I'm a fashion designer with a clothing line already out and another on the way."

"What's your label?" He asked, shifted in his seat.

"Kocchi Mite…?" She asked slowly, wondering if he knew about her lines.

"Wait…so you're THE Higurashi Kagome! Man! My sister absolutely loves your stuff." He exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

Kagome smiled. "I'm glad. And yes, I 'am' Higurashi Kagome."

"But I thought you were married…" Kouga said, trailing off to ward off embarrassment if wrong.

"Well…I am. But my husband and I are separated right now." She answered, keeping her eyes on the red wine in her undrunk glass.

A warm hand reached across the table and clasped hers gently. Kagome looked up to find Kouga looking at her with a sweet smile. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and your marriage."

Kagome sighed and forced a smile back. She didn't want to talk about this! Not on the first date she'd been on in almost 14 years! (Not including outings with Sesshoumaru).

"Me too. Anyway…here I am babbling on about my failures when you asked about me." She laughed.

Kouga chuckled, revealing a white smile.

"I have a son who's 14…and…"

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

The doorbell rang and Sesshoumaru leaned back from his sleeping son. 'That would be Kagura.'

Venturing from the room, he was at the top of the stairs when he remembered something back in his room. Opening his door quietly, he made his way to his dresser and opened Kagome's jewelry box, something she'd 'kindly' left behind.

Picking out a pearl beaded necklace, something that had cost him a fortune, but for a good cause mind you, he placed it into his pocket and left for the grand staircase. There, at the bottom was Kagura…wearing a rather nice gown. It was red. (It's looks just like Kagome's only it's red). Her hair…was cut into a short bob. He almost snorted at how silly it looked on her.

"Sesshoumaru!" She shrieked, hurrying over to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Come Kagura. We leave." He said sternly, pushing her away and taking hold of her hand. Kagura pouted but followed obediently.

"Where are we dining tonight, love?" She asked, rubbing up against him as they sat in the limo.

"Midori-shitsu (The Green Room)." He said bluntly, keeping his eyes averted from Kagura.

Kagura sighed and sat back. Taking out a mirror, she began to check if her make up was okay and that her hair was still in tip-top shape. She suddenly felt something warm rest itself against her neckline when Sesshoumaru had put his arms over her head. Looking down she gasped at the beaded pearls resting there.

"Oh Sesshoumaru…they're absolutely beautiful!" She breathed, looking up at him and pecking him on the lips.

Sesshoumaru only nodded…forcing back another snort.

"We are here, my lord." Came Myouga's voice from the driver's seat. Sure enough, the limo came to a stop and a valet waiting outside of Midori-shitsu opened the door for them to exit out.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Meanwhile…in the bushes outside of the restaurant…

"Move over Uncle! Your fat ramen butt it taking up my space!" Tao hissed, shifting dramatically in his spot.

"Oi! My ass ain't fat you little monster!" Inuyasha hissed back, shifting back over so his nephew would lose more space.

"Grr…OH! Father's just arrived!" Tao exclaimed, glancing into the restaurant window. Inuyasha looked up and saw his older half-brother and his 'date'. They were currently being seated…to a table near enough to Kagome's and Kouga's so Sesshoumaru would look up and see her.

Tao and Inuyasha had come to the restaurant earlier and specifically told which tables the couples were to be seated at…and everything was going perfectly to plan.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

Sorry about not updating yesterday. I was being a lazy butt…(Something I do everyday…)

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed:

**Ice Goddess Kitsune (a.k.a. Ice-chan):** Thank you! I hope to see more of your stories soon!

**teenagetomboy69:** KEEP ON SMILING:Author stands up and sings 'Don't worry…BE HAPPY!':

**Kasai Inuyoukai:** Waaah! I'm sorry!

**Em**:tear: But hey! At least you read it now! Right?…uh Em? Hello? CRAP!

**Kitsune ninja:** I KNOW! I KNOW! I'm so sorry! I try to make long chapters…but I CAN'T! I really don't understand HOW people can right like 5,000 or even 10,000 word chapters! I can't do it! But for your sake and everyone else's (including mine if I wish to improve my writing) I shall 'attempt' to write larger chapters. But you just HAVE to understand that I LOVE leaving cliffhangers…and they always end up being in short chapters. I dunno…maybe I'm plot-deprived…

**sHaTtErEd sOuL:** Yay! Thank you!

Kiba: I don't normally like Kagura in fanfics either…but she'd one of my favorite characters from the anime and the manga. I like her more (MUCH MORE) than Sango…ew.

**N3ko-chan:** Thank you!

**Yenye:** Yep…Sesshoumaru goes into 'EMO-DRIVE'. Or…emotion groove…

**VashLvR**: DEEP BREATH! Breathe in…breathe out…breathe in…breathe out…

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

Oo0O0oO

**Phrase of the Day:**

_"Nani kono baba!"_

**Translation:** _"What's this old woman doing!"_

Oo0O0oO

* * *

**Love from,**

**RisuBento**

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**+Like a Battery+**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Eleven:**

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

"…and then he fell right into the water!" Kouga laughed. Kagome burst into flirtatious laughs at Kouga's story.

"Wow! I had no idea that Inuyasha was so clumsy! No wonder he doesn't like to go swimming!" She said, laughing even more.

Kouga and Kagome continued to smile, even as their waiter brought their cuisine's out.

Looking down at her meal, Kagome sighed. 'French…mmm…'

"How is your food, Kagome?" Kouga asked, while cutting his steak.

"Absolutely wonderful." She smiled, placing another forkful into her mouth.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Oh Sesshoumaru…this is absolutely romantic." Kagura cooed, looping her arm around his.

Sesshoumaru followed the hostess to their given table and pulled Kagura's seat out for her and pushed it underneath her as she sat down. Sitting in his seat he was drawn away from his menu by a hearty round of laughter a few tables away. Looking up he did a double take.

Author's Rant: HA! You ACTUALLY thought that I left another cliffhanger, didn't you?

Nope! I'm not that evil! Enjoy!

He saw red.

'What the devil is she doing here? And with another man!' He snarled to himself.

"Sesshoumaru!" Came Kagura's impatient voice. Turning back to his dinner date, he sighed.

"My apologies Kagura, what were you saying?" He droned.

"Geez…anyways, I was talking about…" Kagome huffed, rolling her eyes before continuing.

Sesshoumaru drained her voice away and glanced back over at his wife and her date.

'Is that…Kouga? Inuyasha's friend? Damn…of all the insufferable things…Oh who am 'I' to criticize…? I was cheating on my wife for almost 4 months… But only with one woman. And the annoying wench happens to be sitting at this very same table as me.'

"…how does that sound?" Kagura finished.

Sesshoumaru continued to ignore her and was keeping his gaze at his 'wife'. Kagura frowned and glanced in his direction. Instantly her eyes went wide and she gasped, which startled Sesshoumaru from his trance.

"Oh my god! Isn't that Higurashi Kagome? The designer who made the "Kocchi Mite" clothing line?" She let out in a rush.

Sesshoumaru answered with a hesitated nod.

"Eep! I HAVE to go over and talk to her! Maybe she'll even sign me as a model for her!" Kagura squealed, abruptly standing up.

Sesshoumaru moved to grab her wrist only to fail as she was already half-way to Kagome's and Kouga's table.

Growling, he placed his elbows onto the table and placed his face in his hands.

'Shit.'

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome was busily munching on her salad when a figure came up to her table. Looking up, she almost flinched when her gaze met a red pair.

"Oh my god! This is so incredibly amazing. I am SO happy to meet you, Higurashi-san. I am a HUGE fan of your designs." The woman, who she now noticed had a very strange looking haircut, said in a frantic gush.

"Uh…thank you…" Kagome said, swallowing her food. Looking at the woman before her, Kagome noted that she wore the same dress as she. Only it was red.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked, putting on the polite facade.

"Kaze Kagura. I have to say that I am a HUGE fan and that----" Kagura began gushing, only to be interrupted when a stoic voice sounded from behind the her.

"Kagura. Cease this nonsense. We are leaving."

Kagome stiffened and clenched her teeth. 'The hell is HE doing here?' Looking up at the new arrival at her and Kouga's table, she put on a sickeningly sweet smile and spoke.

"Good evening Sesshoumaru. SO nice to see you." She said through gritted teeth.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his 'wife' and quirked an eyebrow. "Kagome…I would like to speak with you for a moment."

Kagome's nostrils flared and fumed up at him. "And why would I do a stupid thing like that?" She asked.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed down at her he gave a low warning growl that only she could understand.

Swallowing hard, Kagome turned back to her date and gave a small smile.

"I'm so sorry Kouga. I will only be a moment." She said.

Kouga smiled and shook his head. "Don't hurry Kagome. I'll be waiting."

Kagome smiled back and stood up and leaned over, kissing him lightly on the cheek. She was abruptly snatched by the wrist and yanked towards the restaurants doors.

She pulled herself from his grip and shivered from the cold night air, cursing herself for forgetting her jacket back with Kouga.

"Kagome…" Came Sesshoumaru's growl.

Turning towards her 'husband', she frowned when she found that his eyes flashed red for only a mere instant before returning to their bright, enigmatic gold. The only other time that she'd seen them turn red was when they'd been mating for the first time.

"What did you want, Sesshoumaru?" She snapped, a shiver racking her body.

"What are you doing here with that lowly… wolf?" He snarled.

"And what's it to you? You're not the boss of me! You cannot tell me what to do!" Kagome yelled.

She let out a startled shriek when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her tightly against him. She struggled and fought in his grip only to submit when he snarled and gently clamped his teeth (his human teeth) down on her neck's nape. She relaxed and whimpered slightly.

"Now…" He said, pulling back. "As your husband and mate, I demand to know why you're with another male."

"The same reason you're with another female, Sesshoumaru." She answered surprisingly calmly.

Sesshoumaru growled and pulled her away from his chest. He was about to give her a piece of his mind when her quiet, tear laced voice, reached his ears.

"I know about…her. I've known for almost a year, Sesshoumaru. And I… I'm only doing what every woman wants in a situation like this." She answered against his chest.

"And that would be…?" He asked, not understanding any of this 'woman' language.

"Something that you would never understand in a million years, Sesshoumaru." She said, pulling from his grip. She turned her back to him and wiped her wet cheeks.

Sesshoumaru sighed and pocketed his hands.

"I forbid you to see that wolf youkai any longer." He said, looking down at his impossibly shiny dress shoes.

Kagome whirled around with a rage filled expression. "And who gives you the right to tell me what to do, you bastard! That's all you are! A no good, two-faced bastard!"

"I am your mate, your alpha! You are my bitch! You WILL submit to me whether you want to or not!" He snarled, lunging forward and snatching her arms in his death grip.

"You bastard! You're just fucking jealous that I'm actually having a nice time with someone…with someone that isn't YOU!" She screamed, her face inches from his.

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched. His grip tightened around her arms…and his cuff links shattered. Kagome gasped when his youkai markings and features returned and his eyes flashed into the deadly crimson.

"Bitch…" He snarled low in his throat. He leaned down and began to nuzzle her neck. He grinned in sick pleasure when he could smell the fear and the adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins. Placing a small kiss on the pulse of her neck, he followed his instinct and was ready to reclaim his bitch with his marking, when a shrill voice sounded from the restaurants doorway.

"Sesshou baby!" Kagura sweetly called, slipping her fur coat on.

Kagome pushed away from her transforming husband stumbled a little ways before falling. Luckily a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her before she could hit the ground. Looking up, Kagome sighed when Kouga smiled down at her.

"You all right?" He asked, helping her up.

"F-fine." She said, uncontrollably shaking, more out of fear than out of being cold.

"Here. I brought your coat out for you." He said, hold up her black pea-coat. Kagome nodded her thanks and hurriedly slipped it on before turning back to her husband.

Sesshoumaru had long before pulled an extra pair of cufflinks from his jacket's pocket, so now his human features were once again visible. He was leaning up against a brick wall of the restaurant and was breathing heavily.

His heart was pounding so fast.

"Sesshou…?" Kagura cooed softly into his ear.

"Kagura…remove that necklace at once." He said.

Kagura made a face, and raised a hand to clutch the black pearl necklace laying across her collarbone.

"Why?" She asked.

"It is not yours." He said.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome huffed and allowed herself to be hugged by Kouga. He smelled so nice…and his embrace was so warm.

"Kagome? Would you like me take you home?" Kouga asked quietly after a few moments of hugging. She pulled back and nodded, sniffling at the same time.

As they were walking away, a strange noise was heard in the bushes to her left. Furrowing her eyebrows, she slowed her walking and leaned forward to peer into them.

"Something the matter, Kagome?" Kouga asked, wondering why she'd stopped.

After a few moments of looking she stood up straight and shook her head. "No. Let's go."

Oo0O0oO

'Need…air…NOW!'

Tao was sure that he was turning blue by the time that his uncle finally removed his hand from his mouth.

"What…gasp the heck…gasp-cough did you do that…gasp for?" Tao yelled, smacking his uncle on the leg.

"You fricking sneezed you dummy! Did you want to give away our hiding spot?" Inuyasha growled, before making sure his brother's limo had pulled away before standing up and leaving the bushes.

"You nearly suffocated me!" Tao whined.

"Quit your blubbering! It was only for a few minutes!" Inuyasha snapped, unlocking his car.

"Make that 8 minutes…" Tao mumbled to himself as he climbed into the passengers seat of his uncle's BMW.

Buckling his seat belt, he placed the camcorder on his lap and sighed. Everything went to plan. Almost. His father became jealous…but almost transforming into a demon---WAS NOT…a part of the plan…

His mother crying wasn't part of it either. He'd have to try harder. Glancing over at his grumbling uncle, he grinned when an idea surfaced and spread throughout his mind.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Author's Rant: Hey! I had to take a break from the computer for a few days because my aunt and cousin's were visiting and were staying my room. PLUS! I could find my disc that I save everything on.

I hope you enjoyed!

Thank you to:

**draegon-fire**

**RED DAY**

**FluffyLover7**

**Elda Aranel**

**Kjinuyasha**

**x-cleverclaws-x**

**lyn**

**Blue Rhapsody**

**Sakura the Cat Hanyou**

**waining-moon**

**Tenrai Shinju**

**sako**

And last but certainly NOT least…

**klopher:** I'm not quite sure as to how you got the umlaut above your 'o' but…oh well! I was so excited that you reviewed my story! I absolutely LOVE your fics and I hope to see more soon!

* * *

**Oo0O0oO**

**Thank you again!**

**REVIEW!**

**RisuBento**

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

** READ! **

**Just to clarify…demons in this fic won't be able to detect pregnancy. They'll smell a change in a woman's scent but won't know that it has anything to do with pregnancy.**

**THANK YOU**

****

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

****

**+Like a Battery+**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Twelve:**

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *

****

It was too silent.

Only the low humming of his computer was heard. He'd long told the vassals to go home for a week…now…it was just him.

Alone.

Tao was at his grandmother's. With his mother. Sighing pitifully, he leaned back in his swivel chair and turned to look out his office picture window.

The bright lights of downtown Tokyo were casting a pink haze onto the overcast clouds looming above it.

He should be out there. Milling around and chatting with friends.

But…this was 'him'. He had no friends…well 'close' friends. It'd always been Kagome he could depend. She'd always been there when he needed someone to talk too…or to just 'hold' onto. Now…she was gone.

And it was all HIS fault.

He'd tried so hard to blame Kagura for this situation. Blame her for seducing him into her bed. But…he knew that he couldn't. He'd had the common sense to NOT be seduced by her…but he choose the wrong answer and fell for her witchcraft.

What started out to be just a one time fling, turned into an everyday tryst at the office. She'd only been there to sate his cravings. Kagome wasn't at the office. So he'd chosen an alternative.

Damn his carnal lust.

Kagome was everything to him. Ever since they'd met back when she'd been dating Inuyasha in high school, he'd been smitten with her. She was just so…so Kagome. So out there. She was everything he could ask for in someone to love.

Love.

Damn…

Sesshoumaru glanced lazily at the phone on his desk when it began ringing and waited for a moment----contemplating on whether or not he should answer it or ignore it.

Choosing the former, he dropped an arm onto the desk and lifted the phone from its latch.

"Kagiyama speaking." He said gruffly.

"Hey dad! Can you open the doors? I forgot my key at home and mom took the spare key with her when she left a few months ago…" Tao said, his teeth clattering together.

Sesshoumaru jumped to his feet and placed the phone onto its receiver and left his office. Hurrying down the grand staircase, in an unusually quick manner, he unlatched the bolt locks on the large oak doors before opening it up.

Tao was standing on the front step jumping from foot to foot, shivering uncontrollably.

"Tao? What are you doing here? Where is your mother?" Sesshoumaru asked, yanking his son inside from the wintry weather.

"S-she's at h-h-home. I came here after soccer practice at the school's dome. Is it all right if I stay here for the week?" He asked, allowing his father to usher him into the living room where a large fire was roaring in the fire place.

"That is fine. Does your mother know?" Sesshoumaru asked, wrapping a blanket around his son and maneuvering him to the leather couch.

"Yeah. I called her before I left the school. My friend Naoya's dad gave me a ride." Tao explained, curling up into a ball and pulling the blanket closer to him.

Sesshoumaru nodded and sat down on the adjacent leather recliner, to the couch, and pulled out a book from the flap connected to the recliner's side.

Slipping his clear rimmed glasses from his head and onto his nose, he began reading…only to pause a few moments later when he felt eyes, boring into him. Looking up, he quirked an eyebrow at his scrutinizing son.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me like I'm about to disappear?" He asked.

"Father? How did you and mother meet?" Tao asked.

Sesshoumaru frowned.

"Why?"

"Just curious."

Sesshoumaru sighed and closed his book. Slipping his glasses onto the top of his head, he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"I was a senior in college and your mother was a junior in high school. She'd been dating your uncle for almost 3 months when your grandmother Izayoi suggested she come over and have dinner for the first time. We'd accidentally run into one another earlier that day and she yelled at me for being a stupid head and not looking where I was going…then…she and I met at the house that night…and…" He trailed off as the memory came back to him.

It was so long ago. She'd been so young and vibrant back then. She still was. She hadn't aged since she was 18.

It was almost too painful to think about those memories. Back when she smiled. REALLY smiled.

Hearing a soft sound from the couch, Sesshoumaru was pulled from his thoughts and to his now sleeping son. Feeling an unfamiliar strain at the corner of his lips, he stood up and walked over to the slumbering boy.

Looking down at him…reminded him of how things were when Kagome and him had just started their lives together. Like mother like son…they even slept in the same position. Hands curled beneath their chins…laying on their sides…breathing through their noses…hair fluttering lightly whenever they exhaled.

He looked so much like Kagome.

He…missed her. So very much. He missed her smile. Her kisses. Her touch. Her laughter had always been full of joy and had never failed to bring a smile to his unused lips.

Leaning down and brushing the loose bangs from his son's face, he swallowed and kissed the boy's forehead before tweaking an ear.

Standing straight once again, he was about to leave when Tao mumbled in his sleep.

"…batteries…"

'Batteries? What is that woman (Kagome) teaching him?' Sesshoumaru pondered in confusion, before leaving his sleeping child and heading towards his bedroom for the night.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

The filtered into the pink bedroom and splashed onto its unwilling victim, who was sprawled onto the pink blanketed bed.

Kagome groaned and rolled over to glance at the clock.

'6:57…crap.' She grumbled, before sitting up and stretching.

It'd been almost a month since the fiasco at the restaurant and her date with Kouga.

Kouga. Just thinking about him gave her the willies. She'd gone on a few more dates with him since then and had gotten to know him better. Now, he was so possessive he barked at Souta the other day to stay away from "my woman". Ugh!

'And here I thought Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were possessive!' She giggled at the thought and stood up. Placing a hand onto her larger belly, she walked into her bathroom to wash her face.

'Only 2 more months before I give birth. I hope it's a girl. I don't think I'll be able to handle another possessive male following my every move.' She smiled and splashed warm water onto her face before lathering her face wash on.

Today, she was going in for an ultra sound check up and then she was going off onto her business trip for a fashion show in France. Tao was to stay with his father for the week so she didn't have him to lose in Paris.

The last time she brought Tao to another country with her, was when she'd gone to New York City for the Victoria's Secret fashion show and he'd run off into the city itself because he wanted to find "The Big Apple."

After 4 hours of searching she finally found him at the base of the Statue of Liberty eating a hot dog.

For a 5 year old that was pretty good. Considering the kid didn't have ANY cash on him…she still couldn't understand how the heck he even managed to get to Liberty island without swimming. He could've gotten on a boat…but the ferryman said that he didn't anyone who looked like Tao on his boat.

'Tis but a mystery that was to remain a mystery.

So now she went on business trips alone. A few colleagues went with, along with some models who were going to be in the shows, showing off her latest designs.

She'd packed the night before so all she had to do was dress and get go the doctor's clinic, have her appointment, and then leave for the airport.

Tao said to get him something "French". She was gonna have A LOT of fun with this.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao climbed from the shower stall and proceeded to dry off. Thinking to himself, he began to wonder if his mother would 'ever' tell his father that she was pregnant. He'd found out himself almost 2 weeks ago when he'd made the mistake of telling his mother that she was getting fat. Then she'd sat him down in a kitchen chair and told him the news.

To say he was shock was quite the understatement. He was ecstatic! His mother, who was told that she would never be able to have children again, was going to give him a brother or a sister!

The bad news about it all…was that he wasn't allowed to tell his father. He'd asked why but the only answered he'd received was a stern look that meant business.

So here he was standing semi-naked, he was now in his boxers, in his bathroom, contemplating on whether he was going to pop in excitement.

Wiping the fog from the mirror, he tweaked his ears a couple times, to remove excess water, before jumping when a knock sounded on his door.

"Master Tao?" Came the butler's, Keitaro's, voice. "Lord Sesshoumaru wishes to speak with you in his study."

"All right, thanks Keitaro." Tao answered loudly through the bathroom door.

'What could he possibly want?' He pondered, hurrying into his bedroom and slipping his school uniform on.

Without brushing his hair, opting it to dry messily, he ventured down the grand staircase, sliding down the railing, before knocking on his father's study's door.

"Enter." Came Sesshoumaru's gruff grunt.

"You called father?" He asked, stepping into the darkly yet nicely furnished room.

Sesshoumaru stood up from behind his desk and cracked his neck.

"I have some business to attend to this week. I wish for you to come with me." Was all he said.

Tao frowned.

"I hate going to the office father." Tao mentioned.

Sesshoumaru looked up through his glasses at his son.

"It is not at the office. It is in Europe. I have a business merger waiting for a conference scheduling and the only time I've available is this week." Sesshoumaru explained opening his briefcase.

"Why do I have to go with you? Can't I stay with Uncle?" Tao asked, flopping into a chair.

"No. Just think of it as an early spring break for you. You and I will be going around Europe and touring."

"But…what about the conference?"

"That is tomorrow. We'll have 6 days after that."

Tao sighed and grinned. 'Just me and father. This is great.'

"Where is the conference father?"

"In Paris. We will be staying at a suite so you have no need to pack anything but your clothing. Everything else will be provided."

Paris. This is…gr----CRAP!

"NO!" Tao yelled jumping up and slamming his hands onto his father's desk.

"What?" Sesshoumaru asked, genuinely startled at his son's outburst.

"W-we can't go to Paris!" Tao said.

'If we go to Paris…then mother will surely be on the same plane as us!'

"And I why not? I see no reason to be doubting this trip, Tao. You WILL not act like this when we are there. If you do, I'll send you back home and tell Keitaro that you are grounded from Ramen." Sesshoumaru said, glaring at his son.

Tao gulped.

'Stupid ramen…always getting me into trouble.'

"Am I clear?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, we leave. I had Suki pack your things…" Sesshoumaru said, his voice trailing away as he left the office.

Tao sighed again and ventured after his father.

'I might be able to make dad jealous…but to keep him from going on rampage if he finds out mom's pregnant…man. It's goodbye ramen for me.'

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed!

**jade**

**jadeprincess**

**V. Turner**

**teenagetomboy69**

**VashLvR**

**Kiba**

**Ice Goddess Kitsune**

**waining-moon**

**Sess+KagomeLemons**

**springtenshi**

**gimme more**

**Blue Rhapsody3**

**Kags 21**

**n3ko-chan**

**B3cky-chan**

**draegon-fire**

**sako**

**ILOVEInuyasha07**

**inuyashafan1234567890**

**Thank you!**

* * *

**Oo0O0oO**

**REVIEW!**

**RisuBento**

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**+Like a Battery-**

**By: RisuBento**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *

****

Okay…time for something drastic. UBERLY drastic.

Tao had just called his grandmother on the limo phone and was told that Kagome was getting on flight #146.

His and his father's ticket stated that they were 'also' getting on #146. And from what his grandmother had told him…Tao's mother would be seated one cabin behind them, in the second part of the first class cabins.

He really wanted to do something right now…and peeing his uniform was actually sounding nice at the moment.

"Come Tao." Sesshoumaru ordered, climbing from the limo. Tao did as he was told and followed his father into the crowded airport.

He glanced all around him. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the familiar obsidian hair of his mother. Wait…who was he kidding? This is freaking Japan! 'EVERYONE' has black hair!

Nevertheless he continued to glance around, hoping somewhat pitifully, to catch a familiar colour that his mother always wore.

He was doomed. So utterly doomed.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome sighed and helped her closest colleague, Sango, lug the rest of her baggage onto the carrier before turning towards the escalator.

"I can't wait until we get there! This is my first time ever to go to Paris!" Sango gushed, sifting through her purse.

"Really? Well, it's an absolutely charming and beautiful city. You'll love it." Kagome smiled, and out of sheer habit she ran her hands down her enlarged belly before clasping beneath the bulge.

"So…when are you going to tell Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked, noticing the habitual gesture.

Kagome glanced up at her friend who nodded towards the bubble of a belly. Sighing, Kagome answered.

"I don't know. Everyone keeps asking me that. I would rather he 'didn't' know…but you know how long THAT'LL last."

"I'll bet." Sango smiled, looking back at a couple of tag-along models who were flirting with a group of guys.

"Come on Sango…I think our gate is up there." Kagome sighed, stepping off the revolving staircase.

Her friend nodded and finished fishing through her purse.

'I wonder what Tao and his father are doing right now.' Kagome wondered.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao sighed and fidgeted in his seat. He was hoping and praying to whatever god that was listening that his mother wouldn't be, by chance, on the same plane as him and his father.

But then again, karma usually tends to swing back around and bite him in the butt. HARD.

"Father? How long with the flight be to Paris?" He asked.

Sesshoumaru looked up from his laptop and glanced at his watch. "About 12 hours. Depending on weather conditions."

Tao nodded and looked out his seat window and at the swirling snow outside. Men in bright orange jump suits were running around, barking orders, driving luggage cars, or flagging in landing airplanes.

Having obtained the "special" part of the first class cabin, he and his father, along with a few others, were able to remove their charms and freely associate in their demonic forms.

He tweaked his ears a couple times before smelling a familiar scent that brought a gasp to his lips.

"Tao?" Came his father's voice.

"I HAVE TO USE THE TOILET!" Tao bellowed, jumping up from his seat and dashing down the aisle.

Finding the compartment, he closed the door behind him and panted. He waited. Sure enough, moments later his mother's voice, along with a few others, came by before fading out as they moved away.

This'll be so much more harder than he thought.

Unlatching the stall, he followed after his mother's enticing scent before stopping before the second first class cabin.

"Mother!" He hissed, walking over and tugging on her dress.

Kagome jumped and bumped her head on the baggage compartment above. Groaning and turning around with a grimace on her face, she gasped and stopped her massaging.

"Tao! What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with your father?" She practically yelled.

"SHH! I AM with father! He has a conference in Paris tomorrow and he wanted me to come along. We're on the same plane!" Tao explained.

Tao watched his mother slap and nicely manicured hand to her high forehead.

"Crap." She breathed.

Tao smiled, proud that his mother used the slang word she hated when he said it.

"What should we do…?" He asked.

"I…this isn't good. He'll smell me on you for sure." Kagome groaned, flopping, albeit slowly, into her seat.

Tao bit his lip and moved out of the way of a man who grumpily snapped at him to "Move it!". He looked over at his mother and watched as she bit her lip as well, while thinking up a plan.

"All right…I guess it won't hurt to have him know that I'm on the same plane." She concluded.

"But he'll probably want to see you…" Tao added.

"Yeah…and if he does, I'll hide my belly with a bag or a jacket or something." She shrugged, rubbing her temples in a clockwise motion.

"How did the doctor's appointment go today?" He asked, suddenly remembering.

"Just fine. Everything seems to be normal." She seemed to have read his mind for she shook her head, smiling and continuing. "Nope. I didn't want to know what the gender was. I want it to be a surprise."

Tao sighed and winced when a stewardess' voice broke loudly over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts…"

"You had better get back to your father." Kagome sighed, pulling her son into a warm hug.

"I love you mother." Tao whispered into her ear.

"I love you too, Tao." She smiled, pulling back and kissing him on the forehead.

Tao turned and exited the second cabin and entered the youkai cabin. Finding his seat once again, he'd only counted to 2 seconds until his father tensed and jerked his nose into his son's direction.

"Why do you smell of your mother?" He asked, his clawed hands clenching the seat's armrests in a death grip.

"She's on the same plane. I ran into her when I was going to the bathroom. I followed her back to her seat, which is in the second cabin." Tao explained.

"Why is she on the plane in the first place?" Sesshoumaru asked out loud, mostly to himself.

"She has a fashion show in Paris this week. She and Sango and some models are back there with her." Tao yawned, buckling his seat belt when the plane began moving towards the runway.

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything. He just continued to glare at his laptop screen.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao was going crazy! First he'd tried to get his father to play a game of cards with him…but that didn't go over too well, seeing as how his father hadn't budged his glare from the computer screen.

Then he'd fallen asleep and woke up 4 hours later to find his father in the exact same position. Sighing loudly, Tao sat up and waved a stewardess down.

"Can I have a martini?" He asked. He received a weird look but then glanced over at his father and she nodded hurriedly.

Sitting back, he sighed once again. "Father? Just go and see her. If you're going to sit there like that all day then…please…just humor me and go and talk to her."

Sesshoumaru suddenly broke from his gaze and turned his stiff neck to look at his son. The stewardess brought the martini back and was handing it to Tao, when Sesshoumaru snatched it and drank it in one gulp.

Tao beamed as his father stood up and put on his cuff links, before walking down the aisle to the second cabin.

Looking back down at the discarded martini glass in his hand, he grinned when the olive was still in there. Popping it into his mouth, he grimaced at the tasted of alcohol, albeit eating it otherwise.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome sighed and closed her magazine. Looking out of the window, the clouds puffing by, she began to drift off when a gasp was heard next to her. Jerking her head around, her gaze landed on a shocked Sango, and then onto an ever-stoic looking Sesshoumaru. She swallowed hard and was nudged by Sango.

"I think he wants to talk to you…" She whispered.

Kagome quirked an eyebrow and gave a look to her friend that said, "Noooo. Really?".

Sango stood up and gave a nervous laugh and a smile to Sesshoumaru before moving to the first cabin, probably to chat with Tao.

Sesshoumaru waited a moment before easing himself into Sango's vacant seat. Kagome wrung her hands nervously on the blanket draped over her lap and belly.

"It's…how have you been, Sesshoumaru?" She finally asked, keeping her gaze trained on her hands.

Sesshoumaru leaned his head back and sighed. "I have been well. What about you?"

Kagome swallowed and shrugged. "Same as usual. Tired."

Sesshoumaru nodded and turned his gaze back to the seat in front of him.

It was an uncomfortable silence that was gnawing away at the both them. Unable to handle it any longer, Kagome turned to face him.

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked, resting a hands subconsciously on her belly.

Sesshoumaru noticed the gesture but quickly brushed it off.

"No…I just…wanted…" He started, mentally smacking himself for sounding like a deprived teenage boy who whacked off at the sound of a duck's quacking. "I just wanted to see you."

Kagome looked up and shared a deep gaze with him. She was vaguely aware of his hand clutching her own to his chest.

'I feel like such a school girl.' She thought.

She swallowed nervously when his free hand came up and brushed her cheek, before cupping it. He then leaned forward and gently placed a small peck on her lips.

Her eyes were still closed and her mouth was slightly open afterwards, when Sango jumped excitedly back into her seat.

"SO! What did you two talk about?" She asked.

Kagome opened her eyes and took a moment to register that it wasn't Sesshoumaru in front of her any longer.

"I…um…nothing. We didn't say anything." She answered in a breathy voice.

"Nothing? Then why the school girl blush? And the "I totally just swapped spit with a hottie" look on your face, hmm?" Sango teased.

"Oh shut it Sango…I'm tired." Kagome glared, before turned away to lean against the window. Pulling the blanket up to her chin, she closed her eyes and began to doze off. In a sudden movement, a thought brought her back from her slumber. Lifting a hand, she gently touched her fingertips to her tingling lips.

_'Why did he kiss me…? I'm…so confused.'_ She thought before drifting off once again.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

There! I **HATED** that chapter!

Review!

I'll have individual responses next chapter so keep a look out!

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! It makes me so happy!

Thanks to:

**teenagetomboy69**

**spring tenshi**

**roanae**

**Rach**

**kat**

**Kags21**

**ILOVEInuyasha07**

**draegon-fire**

**sako**

**SessoumaruLovour13**

**Ladyofthewest15**

**jade princess**

**kitsune ninja**

**VashLvR**

**Ice Goddess Kitsune**

**binab86**

**Taki-sama**

**Blood Red Moon---MY 70th REVIEWER ON FF . net!**

And last but certainly not least…:

**Deborah L.** : Thank you for pointing that out about the title! I hadn't even thought of it until now! Thank you! All credit of that idea with go to you!

And I am sorry to say that I haven't made up mind about the Shikon no Tama. I wanted to keep this story as original as possible and the jewel, to me, is becoming so cliché that I think it'll distract me, as well as everyone else, from the real plot and conflict of this story! I'm sorry I don't have an answer for you yet!

**Love from,**

**RisuBento**

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

**+Like a Battery-**

**By RisuBento **

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Oo0O0oO**

* * *

"…gome….agome! KAGOME!" 

Kagome jerked awake with a startled gasp and clutched her armrests tightly.

"What is it?" She asked, squeezing her eyes shut so her vision would focus.

"We've landed. We're in Paris!" Sango squealed, making a couple of grumpy passengers scowl in vexation.

"Oh…" Was her intelligent answer. Sitting up straight in her seat, she felt the plane slow down to a sudden stop. People began moving around in their seats, putting away things they'd taken out and retrieving carry-on items from the storage compartments from above.

"Um…did Sesshoumaru say anything to you when he left?" She asked, folding the blanket, that'd been resting on her lap.

"Sesshoumaru? What're you talking about?" Sango asked giving her a weird look.

"Sesshoumaru…my HUSBAND? He came and talked to me. You got up and went to the front cabin." Kagome asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Uh…sorry to break it to ya Kagome…but I haven't left my seat since we took off from Tokyo." Sango said, grunting as she yanked her large carry-on from the compartment.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah. You've been, like, sleeping the entire time. No one's come by our seats except a stewardess." Sango shrugged.

Kagome frowned. 'That CANNOT be possible! I was awake! He was there! I----we KISSED!

"Come on Kagome. Let's get outta this stuffy flying tube and go to the hotel. I'm beat!" Sango said, their tag-a-long models nodding tediously in agreement.

Kagome swallowed and stood up.

'Was it all a dream?'

**0**

**Oo0O0oO **

**0**

Tao stood up and stretched, letting out a large yawn. Rubbing his sleep ridden eyes, he looked down at his father who was thoughtfully looking out of the window.

"Father? Shall we head off?" He asked, poking his father in the shoulder.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to the finger poking his shoulder before quirking an eyebrow up at his son. Nodding he stood as well and waited for the doors to open.

"Oh yeah…did you go and speak with mother?" Tao asked, hope lacing his voice.

Sesshoumaru paused his movements and looked distant for a moment. Shaking his head, he spoke.

"No. She was sleeping." Sesshoumaru answered.

Tao sighed and nodded. 'So much for that!'

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Ahhh….finally! I can relax!" Sango sighed, sinking onto one of the queen size beds.

Kagome smiled and dropped a bag on the other bed. "I'm going to take a shower, all right?"

Sango, who was now closing her eyes and cuddling up into her silk pillow, waved a hand in acknowledgment, making Kagome giggle.

As Kagome lathered her hair up with shampoo, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. 'Was it REALLY all just a dream? It felt so…REAL. Like he was really there…with his lips touching mine…'

Sure she'd had dreams about Sesshoumaru since their separation…but nothing so…sweet. Everything else was filled with glowing red eyes and baring fangs…nightmares really.

But…why would she be dreaming about something so…calm and all lovey-dovey? Surely she wasn't still in love with him! Heck no! The bastard cheated on me! He used me…well…I did too. With that, 'Bankotsu' guy…but…

"Hey Kagome!" Came a yell followed by pounding on the bathroom's door.

"Yeah?" She called back turning the shower off and stepping out, scowling when she couldn't wrap a towel around her body any longer because of her belly.

"Do you want to head out and have some dinner? Riku, Chise, and I are wanting to go out and eat something." Sango said.

Sighing loudly, Kagome finished drying herself, before looking in the closet for a robe. "No thanks San. I'm just going to lay down for a while. I'm still tired from the trip."

"Even though you'd slept for 12 of the 14 hours it took to get here?" Sango teased.

"Just go, you poop!" Kagome growled.

"All right! I'll have room service call up so you can order some chow. See you later!"

Kagome, finding a robe and wrapping it around her swollen belly the best she could, opened the bathroom door just as the suite's door slammed.

'Those girls…' She was jealous. She'll admit it. Ever since high school when she'd gotten pregnant with Tao, she'd never had the time to go out and have fun with her friends. Sure she went to banquets and chatted with other people, but she never had time to do the things she'd wanted.

She'd grown up too fast.

Being a new mother at the age of 16---- not to mention the mate of the most self-centered, dumb headed, sexiest man in the world---- was a tedious job. She'd come to see 'girl's night out' as a 'childish' and school girl thing.

That's what she should've been doing during her last 2 years of high school. But like she said before, she'd grown up too fast, to really 'experience' life the way her 'single' friends could.

But…I guess that's the price you get for being the happiest mother on the entire planet.

Walking over to the large bay window, that was so large, it went from ceiling to floor and stretched 15 feet across the wall, she pulled the blinds open with the string.

The lights of Paris were dull compared to Tokyo's but nonetheless beautiful. The Eiffel Tower was elegantly lit up in yellow lights, drawing tourists to it like a moth to a flame. She'd been to Paris more times than she was able to count, so the whole "Eiffel Tower" experience burned out a long time ago.

Then again…she'd always love the city…this was one of the places that she and Sesshoumaru had stopped at during their honeymoon. It'd been her first time in a new country and she was so excited.

Kagome giggled lightly at the memory. It'd rained the entire time they were there, which was about 4 days. It was sunny and warm the day they'd left.

Sighing loudly she sunk down into a chair and continued to let her thoughts run wild.

'I wonder Tao's doing…'

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Father? Can we go and see the Eiffel Tower?" Tao asked hopefully. His smile fell when his father shook his head.

"I have a dinner meeting with a colleague in the hotel's lounge. I am sorry I did not mention it before." Sesshoumaru said, clasping his cuff links on.

Tao sighed and watched as his father's demonic features disappeared. "That's all right father. I'll just call room service or something."

Sesshoumaru nodded and ran a humanoid hand through his silky locks. "I will not be late. Don't stay up too late and no junk food." He warned with a pointed look.

Tao rolled his eyes before nodding. With that response, Sesshoumaru picked up his blazer and slipped it on as he left the room.

Just as he stepped out into the hallway, someone from the suite across from him stepped out as well and collided clumsily into him.

"Oh! My apologies!" They gasped.

Sesshoumaru looked down and grunted his excuse.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" They asked.

Sesshoumaru looked up and lifted a single eyebrow.

"It IS you! Hi! I'm Sango Taijiya. I'm Kagome's personal assistant!" She smiled, holding out her hand.

Sesshoumaru sighed and politely took her hand.

"A pleasure." He said lowly. Sango chuckled nervously and pulled her hand away.

"Uh…yeah. I…um…need to go. Bye!" She said, hurrying down the hallway towards two giggling models.

Sesshoumaru waited until the elevator doors had closed before stepping closer to the door across from his. Slipping up one cuff link, he closed his eyes when a small fraction of his senses caught Kagome's scent.

Lavender…she'd always smelled of lavender. Every since she'd been in high school, she'd smelled faintly of lavender. It was a smell that would forever be engraved into his soul. She was right on the other side of the door…so incredibly close that if he wanted he could just break the door down, go in and sweep her off her feet.

He WOULD do that…if he wanted to die. No…he was going to give her the space she needed. Hopefully when she'd filled that space…then she'd come back again.

Shaking his head, when a ding of the elevator brought him back into the French hotel's hallway, he replaced the cuff link and turned to the gold plated doors of the pulley contraption.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Tao sat up on his bed when the scent of lavender taunted his nostrils; making them tingle. The scent was so faint…yet so alive.

'Mother…' He thought. Standing from his bed he followed the scent to suite's door. Opening it slowly, he noticed that the lavender was stronger out there in the hallway.

Stepping out, he cautiously stepped to the right, sniffed, to his left, sniffed, before stopping at the door across from his room.

"Mother?" He whispered softly to himself. He licked his lips and knocked on the door.

He could hear a shuffling sound, followed by the scraping of slipper clad feet, and then the door opening.

"Yes? Can I help----Tao!" Kagome gasped.

"Mother! What're you doing here?" Tao yelled.

"SHH!" She hissed, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him into her entrance way.

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? I should be asking you the same thing!" Kagome said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Father and I are staying in the suite right across from yours." Tao groaned, smacking a hand to his forehead.

Kagome groaned as well. 'Deja vu…'

"Come on…where's your father?" She asked, leading him into the luxuriously decorated living room.

"He has a dinner meeting with a colleague downstairs. I was going to call room service up for some dinner." Tao shrugged flopping down into a cushy leather couch.

Kagome sighed tediously and shook her head.

"Just stay here. I'll order something up. You want chocolate?" She asked.

Tao frowned. "What ever happened to the "No junk food whatsoever Tao" rule?" He asked, flipping the television on.

"Forget about it for now. I have a huge craving for a banana split with extra hot fudge." She said, picking up the room's cordless phone.

Tao smiled.

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

"Sango? Chise and I are gonna stay out a little longer. We saw a cute little boutique down there that we wanted to check out, okay?" Riku stated.

Sango smiled and nodded. "I'm tired so I'll head on up to the room. Don't stay out too late or Kagome will have my skin!" She teased.

"We won't! Ta!" Chise called, waving over he shoulder.

Shaking her head, Sango turned down the street and entered the hotel's lobby. Just as she reached the lobby's golden elevators she heard a 'psst!' from the plant nearby.

Stopping her hand just inches from the elevator button she frowned and looked around before shrugging and pushing the button.

"Psst! Hey!" Came the hiss again only louder and more clearer.

Sango made a face and turned to look into the plant. She was suddenly yanked into the plant by a tanned hand.

"OOF! Hey! What's the big idea bas----!" She said.

"SHHHH!" They hissed cutting her off by placing their hand over her mouth. "Quiet!"

Sango glared up at the handsome bellboy before sticking her tongue out and licking his hand.

"Gah! Yuck man!" He grimaced, ferociously wiping his palm on the front of his burgundy uniform.

"That's what you get for pulling me into the plants you creep!" Sango hissed, turning away to climb out.

"Wait! I just need to ask you something!" He said, pulling on her arm.

Sango growled and turned back to him.

"What?"

"Is that THE Kagiyama Sesshoumaru sitting over there?" He asked pointing out from the bushes.

Sango frowned before looking in the direction he was pointing at. Sure enough, the ever-stoic-looking Kagiyama Sesshoumaru was seated at a table eating and talking.

"Yeah. Now can I leave please?" She snapped.

"Thanks…but who's the woman with him?" He asked.

Sango furrowed her eyebrows and moved a branch from her view. Exactly as he said, a beautiful blonde woman was seated across from him laughing and sipping red wine with her ruby red lips.

'Poor Kagome…'

"I don't know and don't care who she is…now goodbye." She said turning again.

"Wait! Just one more thing, please." The bellboy said.

'I am a river…a calm brook running over soft pebbles…' Sango chanted to herself, willing the wrath to boil down. Turning back to him, she gave him a bittersweet smile.

He smiled seductively and took hold of her hands, kissing her knuckles in a soft kiss. Sango swallowed nervously and was about to pull away when he spoke.

"My lovely maiden…will you do me, Miroku, the honor of bearing my children?"

"…."

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

Kagome had just finished licking her banana split's bowl when a scream was heard throughout the hotel. Tao jumped up in alarm but Kagome stayed put.

"What was that? It sounded like someone screamed hentai!" Tao said.

"It was only Sango." Kagome shrugged.

Tao nodded, dutifully understanding.

* * *

**0**

**Oo0O0oO**

**0**

* * *

_There. I kinda liked this chapter. Sort of. I hope you all did!_

_I'm sorry about the individual reviews…I said I would have them this time…I'm sorry! I just haven't had the energy the last few days. My hayfever/allergies have kicked in full blast and my eyes are red and itchy and watery and my nose is plugged up so I haven't been able to sit down and write something for a while without becoming too fazed out._

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed!**

**Thank you to:**

**Icy**

**theblackdemoness**

**Sesshie's Black Dominatrix**

**inu-hanyou2**

**Noacat**

**Insane-and-Psycho**

**teenagetomboy69**

**Kiba**

**RED EYES**

**Oahtmeal (a.k.a. THAO! THAT'S SO COOL!)**

**Yenye**

**oOJade-DragonOo**

**Netealia Lane Foxwood**

**babygirl**

**kjinuyasha ------- 8TH REVIEWER ON FF . NET!**

**SesshoumaruGal**

**Helewise**

**Kagome2u**

**Adria Li**

**Alexis**

**evilclosemonkey007**

**ILOVEInuyasha07**

**sako**

**jadeprincess**

**britt**

**Taki-Sama**

**LynGreenTea**

**SessoumaruLovour13**

**123**

**Faithful Vampire**

* * *

**Oo0O0oO**

**THANK YOU ALL!**

**Love from,**

**RisuBento**

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

**Like a Battery**

**By RisuBento**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Tao, the plot, and the unborn baby :D**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O**

* * *

Tao flopped down onto his bed. What to do….? His father was off at a business thingy and his mother was off doing her fashion stuff. Uncle Inuyasha was somewhere… Something about smelling ramen and then he took off down the street. He rolled over and flipped on the TV and sighed when it was all in French. He listened to the foreign drabble and thought that this was SOME vacation when he was by himself all the time. He wished he had some friends his age that he could hang out with more often. Most of the kids at school were either stuck up or just plain weird. He didn't feel like drawing, or eating, or really anything. He wanted to see the Eiffel Tower but his parents would each have a fit if he went off in big confusing city by himself.

The room's telephone rang and he rolled over and answered it in one swoop. "Hello?"

"Hey Tao, sweetie. What're you up to?" Came my mother's voice. "Is your father around?"

"No. He's off doing business stuff. How are things with you?" I asked, delightfully bored.

"Well if you flip on the TV my show is going to start live in about 10 minutes." She mentioned with a tired and happy sounding voice.

"Sure, what channel?" I asked flipping through random French speaking channels.

"Hold on, let me ask Laurent-Hey! Laurent!-" And then proceeded a multitude of muffled voices and shouts (it's got to be chaotic there). "He said 14."

Tao punched in the numbers and it was a two people speaking rapidly in French about the upcoming show. A picture of his mother popped up and a camera view of the chaos going on behind the runway curtain showed people running about yelling, performing last minute pinning and sewing.

"All right. Good luck, mom." Tao said.

"Thanks sweetie. I'll hopefully see you later or tomorrow. When will your father not be around?" She asked. Tao sighed.

"I don't know his schedule, but I'll call you in your room. I love you mom." He said. "I love you too sweetie."

Tao hung up and turned up the volume on the TV. Here we go. The newscaster's were talking rapidly and a shot of the runway was showing that lights were flashing and music was beginning to boom. His mother was so amazing. She was so wonderful at what she did for a living and what's awesome about it is that she was so passionate about it. She was always coming up with vibrant outfits from formal gowns, wedding dresses, to casual and swimwear. She once told me that she knew that she want to be a fashion designer from when she was a little girl. She loved playing dress up with her mother's things. He sighed and realized that it had started.

It was phenomenal. Every woman that strutted down that runway was dressed to a T in the best of best designs his mother made. He personally liked the woman dressed in a very glamorous strapless evening gown with a long train at the base. His mother personally liked this one best because it was designed after her wedding dress. He'd seen her wedding dress once and he could only imagine how his mother had looked in it on her wedding day. 'Maybe she and father will have another wedding day…like to renew their vows or something….'

He must've laid his head down because the next thing he heard was the hotel door opening and closing in a rush. He lifted his head up and glanced over to see his father standing there, loosening his tie and actually looking tired.

"Hello, father." He said sitting up and rubbing his eyes. His father grunted in return and walked over to the bed Tao was on, turning the lamp on. Tao squinted and watched his father remove his cuff links and his tattoos appear and other hereditary features appear.

"I am sorry that I have not been present these few days. I will have some time to see Paris with you tomorrow if you wish." He said, taking his blazer off.

Tao smiled. "I would like that a lot father. Can we see the Eiffel Tower? Or can we please PLEASE PLEASE go to the Louvre?" He suddenly gushed with excitement. His words went on deaf ears for his father was staring intensely at the television screen. Tao glanced over and saw his mother's face on the screen. The tradition was to have the designer come out on stage and thank everyone after the show was over. He didn't think anything of it (which he wondered why he was stupid enough not too) until the camera panned out and it showed her entire person. Pregnant belly and all. UH OH.

He felt his father's rage before seeing it. Snapping his head towards his father, he felt like a worm standing beneath a bird ready to devour it. His father person was deathly still and his eyes were bleeding to a deep red. This wasn't good.

"Dad! Wait-!" He started when his father picked him up by the front of his shirt and lifted him towards his face.

"Why was I not TOLD!" Sesshoumaru snarled. Tao felt his father's hot breath on his face and he felt suffocated. He had NEVER seen his father this angry before; not even when he was having fights with his mother.

"Sh-she didn't want you to know!" He gasped, grasping at his father's hand; trying to get some air.

His father snarled and pretty much dropped him to the floor, where he landed in a loud heap. He coughed and looked back up at his father. Sesshoumaru's claws had extended slightly and were openly quivering, as if squeezing the life out of something. Tao cringed at his father's dark aura. 'He's on the verge of transforming!'

"Father! Stop!" He yelled, getting up and wrapping his arms around his father's waist. A guttural growl came out of his father and he was vibrating violently. He didn't seem to register that his son was trying to hold him back from transforming, not that Tao could honestly do anything against his much more powerful father.

Pain suddenly shot through him and he nearly gagged as he felt a strange heat surge in his veins. He gasped and looked back and found that his father had dug his claws into his shoulder. POISON! His father's poison claws were emitting green poison into his body. Closing his eyes and swallowing he concentrated on his inner youkai half. He felt his charm bracelet shatter and his youkai features emerge. His demon blood surged and fought against the poisonous substance invading his body. He felt his father lessen against him, finally removing his hand from Tao's shoulder. Tao tore himself away and leapt across the room and instinctively crouched slightly and snarled at his father.

Sesshoumaru must've smelled his son's blood and his defensively snarl, because he instantly calmed and looked at his son. His father was panting heavily. He looked down at his bloodied and looked back at Tao who was bearing his teeth and sweating profusely.

"Tao." His father said, moving towards him. Tao made a move to get away, his instincts telling him to get farther from this feral beast in front of him. Before he could make any movement his father was holding him in his arms, almost cradling him. He felt light headed and queasy.

His father laid him on the bed and tore his shirt off and Tao felt another intense surge of heat begin to enter his body through his shoulder, where the wound was. His senses were going crazy; it was like everything in this room smelled of explosions and ammonia. It was awful. He had the bed spins and he felt like vomiting. He opened his eyes to see his father take something from his pocket and move to him again. His shoulder felt cool. He was freezing now. He was tired…and sleep came in a rush. "Mother…"

* * *

"Mother…." Came his son's breathy pained whisper. What had he done? Sesshoumaru looked at the damage he'd done to Tao. His own child. He'd wounded his own child. His mother… He felt his blood rush again at the thought of the seeing his wife protruding with life. How dare she? 'How dare she not inform this Sesshoumaru of this event?' His youkai blood wanted nothing more than to take his mate's life at her betrayal, but he tamped it out. He sighed and leaned his elbows onto his knees and held his face in his hands. What had he done? Suddenly the door burst open and in came a crazed Inuyasha.

"Tao! What happened!" He looked around wildly for his nephew and his eyes landed on his brother sitting on the bed next to the slumbering Tao.

"Sesshoumaru! What the fuck happened?" He growled, his hands clenching violently. He watched as his brother stood up slowly, almost as if he was being weighed down by something. Sesshoumaru looked at him with tired eyes and spoke.

"You know and yet you did not tell me." Inuyasha didn't know what he was talking about and he gave his older brother a confused look. "Wha—"

"Watch him. I have something I need to take care of." Was all Sesshoumaru said, before he was gone in the blink of an eye. Inuyasha shuddered at the speed of his brother and shook his head when a smell hit him and his nose wrinkled. Poison…Tao.

He walked over to his still nephew lying on the bed and saw the devilish wound on his bad. Oh man…what the hell made him so mad? 'You know and yet you didn't tell me…' What the heck? A loud clash of music from behind him drew him away from his mindless thoughts and he looked at the TV and found himself looking at his sister-in-law…very pregnant and with a smile on her face.

'Oh shit… Tao must've been watching Kagome's fashion show and Sesshoumaru walked in and saw that she was pregnant. That's why he said that I knew. Ah fuck!'

He realized now that his brother must've been so enraged that Tao had tried to stop him and in that moment of time Sesshoumaru had lashed out at the first thing he came upon. Tao's bracelet was in pieces on the floor, indicating the massive energy that had unleashed in this room only moments before.

"Crap…" he said sitting in the chair next to Tao. "Run Kagome."

* * *

"Kagome! The show was amazing! You didn't such an out of this world job." Sango yelled above the cheering backstage crowds. Kagome was being hugged and congratulated continuously by people she knew, people she didn't, and some of the models and their boyfriends. Laurent finally made his way through the crowd and took hold of Kagome and kissed her rather hard on each cheek in his excitement. She laughed and hugged him.

"Kagome! Tres magnificent!" He admonished, almost jumping around like a school boy. He was pushed aside by a mass of photographers and reporters yelling questions in all sorts of languages. She smiled brightly and had to pretend to see all the people because she was being blinded by the camera flashes. Sango took hold of her arm and helped her way out to the red carpet spread at the front of the massive complex.

"This is so exciting Kagome!" Sango laughed. "I'll never get tired of this!"

Kagome continued to smile and was put in front of a large banner with her label printed all over it. A couple of models wearing her prized design evening gown and her favorite spring line lead were placed next to her and, if even at all possible, more bulb flashes went off and she was blinded completely. Looking around at the chaotic crowds she saw Sango and Riku standing off to the side, both on cell phones, no doubt setting up possible sales for her entire line. She suddenly felt as if someone was watching her which was ridiculous because half of France was staring at her right now. But it fell like she was being burned—like shining a magnifying glass in the sun and burning an ant. She scanned the crowd and felt her entire being freeze.

Sesshoumaru was standing at the end of the carpet. Staring. The look in his eyes…she couldn't describe. So much was rushing through them. Oh my god. 'He must've seen the show on television. If he doesn't know I'm pregnant now than I don't know what he's doing here.'

The models left her sides and she was left alone. She looked at Sango and Riku, hoping they were looking at her; seeing her panic. In the flashing of cameras, she felt like she was in a dance club with strobe lights flashing—stopping motion. She didn't even see him move but he was suddenly in front her—his large person covering her from the flashes. She looked up at him and swallowed hard. His expression was angered and…hurt? No. That couldn't be possible.

He suddenly grabbed her by the hand and started to pull her along and away from the crowds. No doubt there would be a tabloid tomorrow about a silver haired man with tattoos on his face dragging the pregnant fashion designer across Paris. She was being led and she felt like she had no choice but to be led. This was it. Her secret had a time limit and it had long expired. He picked her up and vanished from the people below. She felt like throwing up, she was up so high and moving so quickly. She looked up at her husband and couldn't see his face it was so dark out up high.

This was it. She couldn't hide it anymore.

He suddenly landed somewhere setting her on her feet and vanishing before appearing at the other end of the platform. She felt the wind hit her bitterly and with it came the knowledge that she was up high. She knew where she was. She stepped over to the railing and threw up over it. She retched her last and heaved painfully. She'd eaten nothing that day and had nothing to throw up. Wiping her mouth she looked up at her husband's back and spoke.

"Sesshoumaru…" She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her husband turned.

"Is it mine?" He asked. He of course already knew he just had to have the confirmation from her.

Kagome looked offended and then quite angry. "Of course it is, you bastard. I'm not some tart who sleeps around while she's still married." Sesshoumaru didn't look happy at her tone and his amber eyes flashed a deeper gold.

He was suddenly standing in front of her, pinning her to the wall without touching her; his hands on either side of her face. He smelled her-checking her for other male scents. She was used to this sort of treatment-it came with marrying a dominant male youkai. She stood there perfectly still, hating herself for enjoying being so close to him again after so long. She could smell his scent, his lightly administered cologne. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and felt sad when he moved away.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He said, almost sounding pained.

Kagome sighed and swallowed at the coolness of the wind hitting her when he moved away. "Because I felt like you didn't need to know. I didn't want you to know. I was shocked myself…this of course wasn't planned Sessh."

"I am your husband. I am obligated to know what is going on with my mate every second of the day." He snapped.

Kagome didn't have the energy to argue. She just wanted to sleep. She looked out over the city and felt herself go queasy at the height. Sliding down to the floor she closed her eyes and went in and out of consciousness. Oh dear. She WOULD faint right now…

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN! Hellooooo! I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! It's been like, what, 4-5 years? It's good to be back, my dear friends. Hopefully my writing style has improved because this is the first time in about 5 years that I HAVE written anything. :D

Tell me what y'all think! Yay!

3


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I am truly upset by my writing in this chapter :( I'm losing my touch and school is killing me and my ideas. Help? Maybe some plot feedback from you guys could help some. Enjoy :D**

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

**Like a Battery**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Tao and da bebii! :D**

****

Inuyasha looked down at his nephew. He could have sworn that the kid wasn't breathing—he'd checked like 5 times now. What the hell was Sesshoumaru thinking attacking his own kid like that? _'Then again…I was attacked by him too before and honestly it was tough getting him back to normal. I had to bite him—like REALLY bite him-the last time he went psycho.'_

He sat down on the bed next to Tao and brushed some hair from the boy's face. As much as he looked like his brother, he looked so much more like Kagome. He remembered when she and he had been dating back in middle school. They were inseparable back then. Always did the boyfriend girlfriend thing and held hands and kissed. Then they realized soon that they were more suited as a sibling pair. Then Kagome had met his brother and OH BOY Inuyasha wasn't gonna lie and say he was happy about that. He was hurt and angry and pretty much wrote Kagome out of his life. That is until she was in a car accident and had broken her leg and 3 ribs and was requesting to see him only him at first.

He'd gone to hospital and seeing her lying in the bed all bandaged and bruised, he broke down and told her he was sorry for everything and that he never wanted to be apart from her again. She forgave him. She was his best friend and the only person he's ever truly loved.

He'd been stuck in a rut around the time when Kagome was pregnant with Tao. He'd been laid off of his 2 jobs and he couldn't get into a decent university, and his girlfriend had just broken up with him, and yada yada yada. The day Tao had been born his brother had been away in Osaka for business junk and couldn't get a hold of for whatever reason. Kagome went into labor while she was helping him clean his nasty apartment. She was just walking into the kitchen when he'd heard a yelp. He'd gone into the kitchen expecting to see her electrocuted or something but instead found her standing in the middle of the kitchen with her pants soaked. Oh boy.

Long story short—he was the one that held Kagome's hand while she gave birth to Tao—CORRECTION he was the one who had his hand _broken_ while she gave birth. His hand still didn't work right. Sesshoumaru had flown in as fast as he could and was there within the hour of Tao being born. He'll admit that he had a pang of jealousy when he watched Kagome and his brother gaze down at their child with love and pride. He'd wanted that.

Tao coughed next to him and stirred slightly. He opened his eyes and looked around slowly before looking at Inuyasha-then he lunged at his uncle with a fierce snarl. Inuyasha caught him and held him tightly in his arms. Inuyasha felt his demon side dominate and begin to calm down Tao before the boy just stopped struggling entirely. He was like a limp doll in his arms. "Get it together Tao!" He said, shifting towards the bed again. He pried his nephew off of him and set him down on the bed, pulling back the covers.

"Uncle…dad—mom.." Tao gasped, trying to keep his eyes open. They continued to roll into the back of his head. He was sounding parched for water. Grabbing the cup from the bedside table he hefted his nephew up and tipped it down into the kid's mouth. Tao coughed and finally managed to swallow. When he was sated, Tao moved to sit himself up. He looked at his hands and found them shaking. He vowed to himself that he never wished to see his father's power again. At least against himself. Tao could still feel the earth shattering youki his father had exploded with. That was the aura of a true demon…and Tao had never been so afraid in his life.

He shifted and felt his breath stop in his lungs-his shoulder and arms were in so much pain it was practically paralyzing. "Did father go to mother?" He wheezed, willing the pain away. He could feel himself begin to heal but being a hanyou made things take longer and were a little more painful. He looked at his uncle and saw the pain in Inuyasha's amber orbs.

"Yeah…when I charged in he was sitting over you looking like he was in shock." Inuyasha scoffed crossing his arms and standing up to pace around.

"He was shocked at attacking me or because he found out mother's pregnant?" Tao asked solemnly, berating himself for being stupid for letting his father find out. He knew it was going to happen eventually, but in a different country and on a supposed vacation? Ugh…

"Both. Finding out that his mate is pregnant with his kid like that is like taboo of some kind-some kind of demon crap that I don't give a shi—poop about." Inuyasha answered stopping at the balcony windows and peering out into the city. "I know your ma didn't want Sesshoumaru to find out at all but seriously—you can't hide things from my almighty brother. It just doesn't work."

Tao nodded and looked down at his hands. They were red, probably from his youki coming out and trying to overpower his father. He sighed and felt the need to cry. NO. He wouldn't cry. He was supposed to be strong. His father would berate him for being weak. His father… He didn't know what he should be feeling right now. His father practically almost killed him… _'Am I angry? Do I hate him? What am I supposed to feel in a situation like this? I've never had to deal with something like this. What's going to happen with mother? Father had better not doing anything to her…'_ Tao glanced up at his uncle, and in turn his uncle looked back.

"Do you know where they've gone?" Inuyasha asked, stopping his pacing and crossing his arms. He looked worried too. Tao nodded.

"I have an idea…where they may have gone… but we have a problem."

"Okay…and what could be worse than what your dad could be doing to your ma right now?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"Can you give me a piggy back ride? I don't think I have enough energy to walk."

"….you're serious?"

Tao grinned slightly. Inuyasha began to mumble incoherent things and threw his hands up in obvious defeat. Tao picked up on "ramen" and a sharp "KEH" in the mumbo jumbo before his uncle knelt next to the bed. He mustered as much energy as he could and gasped slightly in pain while finally getting onto his uncle's back.

"Hang on tight kid. Man….when did you get so big?" Inuyasha said, groaning in slight discomfort. Tao didn't answer. He just clasped his arms around his uncle's neck and rested his head down.. 'Mother…I hope you're all right…'

o

o

o

o

o

Kagome knew exactly where she was and what was happening she just chose to not open her eyes and acknowledge the oncoming conversations. Or yell-fest. Whatever you wish to call it. She never should have kept it a secret…otherwise she wouldn't have been kidnapped from one of the most successful moments of her career-in front of millions of people I might add-or she wouldn't be dealing with an EXTRA pissed off youkai. Taking a deep breath she made a decision. Opening her eyes she looked around—willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Looking around she finally saw a dark figure crouched low to the ground across the platform from her. Kind of creepy when you sort of forget that it's your husband you're with. Silly Kagome…her husband was trying to intimidate her. She wouldn't let that happen.

"Are you awake?" She heard his voice. What a silly question.

"What a silly question, when you knew before I opened my eyes." She said, gripping the metal railing next to her and pulling herself up rather awkwardly. She looked up at the man across the tiled floor, after dusting herself off, and sighed. She opened her mouth about to say something when she felt the sudden immense pressure of his youki and he was suddenly standing in front of her. She caught her breath and made the instinctive move to back away. She felt suddenly nostalgic…saddened for her memories of past days came back to her when she smelt his musky smell. His cologne…his masculinity. He was so close to her.

"You're a fool, Kagome…" He spoke. Did his voice just shake? She noticed his fists clenched. He didn't have his charms on. At the moment he was pure beast. Wait what? A fool?"

"Excuse, me? What the hell do you mean a fool?" She asked incredulously.

"I had every right to know that the child is mine. You were foolish enough to think that this Sesshoumaru would never find out?" His voice was shaking more with every word. She had no idea he would be this pissed.

Kagome crossed her arms and shifted her way to one leg and quirked an eyebrow. "As far as I'm concerned Sesshoumaru, you gave up any rights to know anything about me or my business when you went after that tramp at your office."

Silence.

"Don't change the subject, woman." He practically snarled—his teeth grinding together. Kagome gulped a little, hoping her panic wasn't noticeable.

Kagome sighed and turned the other way. She'd known about "the other woman" for a long while now. She was used to smelling so many different perfumes in her life of work that she could easily distinguish the good from the bad and the ones she owned and what she didn't. She SO did not own any nasty American perfume by that Paris Hilton woman. Waaaaaay too fruity. She never had to ask Sesshoumaru where he'd been because she'd smelled it faintly on his business suit blazers. She had no idea what had driven him to do that—okay she did and it was mainly her fault but she would never cheat on her husband or anyone for that matter. They needed to figure things out. This baby should grow up with a proper family but if her husband was going to be a prick about what he should have every right to know of…

Sesshoumaru attempted to lessen his beast. He looked her standing before him and felt himself calm even more so. She was his woman and was pregnant with his child. She was talking but he wasn't listening. He was just taking all of her in. She hadn't aged since they'd married. She was lovely and vibrant—and he'd driven her away. But… He felt his youki surge again_—'how damn audacious of this woman to think that she could hide something from this Sesshoumaru.'_ His blood began to quicken and he reached out and whirled her around and crushed his lips down onto hers.

His mate. His woman. She was struggling against him—fighting for dominance. To get away. He would have none of it. He took his hands from her arms and threaded his fingers through her obsidian locks; continuously ravishing her mouth.

Kagome struggled against his firm hold on her and she failed. _'No... Stop it! I don't want this!'_ He was leading her to the wall behind her and she felt her back make contact to the cold surface. His kisses were intoxicating…she could feel herself spiraling into the black hole know as Sesshoumaru. This wasn't right. She'd worked so hard to not give in to going back to her husband after all these months. He wasn't listening to her! He wasn't in the right state of mind to listen to her—his beast was only laughing at her words.

Enough.

She chomped down on his lip and he recoiled—ripping himself away from her, his hand going to his mouth. She licked her lips and tasted his blood. She looked at him and plastered herself to wall even more. He was not happy. He was furious.

Sesshoumaru looked at the blood on his hands and licked the spot where his wife had just bit him. Does she know what she's done? He could feel his beast creep back around—it was telling him to kill his disobeying mate. She was standing there looking like a wild woman—her hair tousled because of the wind and blood—HIS blood—on her lips. There was a gleam in her eyes that made him want to take her now. Right here. To show her who was the dominant one.

"What the fuck…" She said. He wasn't used to her cursing. Closing his eyes he willed his youki back—far back. When he felt the power blocked, he opened his eyes once again.

She watched him will his power back. He was a lot calmer now. She was so angry she was shaking. He was just standing there and then suddenly destroying her mouth and then calming down. Make up your mind! Her head screamed at him. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when he did the most unexpected thing.

He dropped to his knees and bowed to the floor. She looked at him as he'd just told her that he'd wanted a sex change. What the crap!

"Sessh. Hey what're you doing?"

"I am sorry." Kagome could've sworn that 3 things happened at once.

1. A huge meteorite had hit the planet

2. She peed herself

3. Sesshoumaru really DID tell her that he wanted a sex change.

"Um…Sessho—" She started but was cut off by him standing up.

He stood up. He wouldn't look her in the eye. He couldn't. Who was this man? Where did the stoic man she'd married run off to? It made her uncomfortable.

"Tao is here." He said. Huh?

Sure enough, she saw a blur hop up onto the railing and then sink down on the floor. Inuyasha helped Tao off his back and she saw that he was lethargic and unable to stand up on his own.

"Tao! What happened to you?" She asked, hurrying over to him—completely forgetting about her husband. She knelt down and took her son into her arms. He was looking at her with such a sad look in his eyes.

"Are you okay mom?" He asked, noticing the blood on her lip. _'Father's…' _

"Yes I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" She was checking him over making sure he was okay. "What happened to you? Why are you all bruised and pale?" She looked up at Inuyasha who was standing with his arms crossed over them. His eyes flicked over at his brother. Kagome stiffened.

"Sesshoumaru….what did you do to Tao? What did you do to our son?" She asked her voice scarily monotone. She felt a hand on her face and she looked down at the said child in her arms. _'When did he get so big? Sheesh…'_

Silence was her only answer and she looked back at her husband. He was standing with his back to all of them; the only thing remotely mobile on his body was his hair blowing slightly in the wind. "Don't blame father, mother. He was only surprised when he saw you on tv."

Kagome looked back down at her baby. Sesshoumaru hurt him…her husband…the father of her child hurt her baby. She could never forgive him. EVER. She struggled to stand and nearly fell only to be caught by Inuyasha. Tao was getting some strength back; he could stand at least now. Kagome turned and looked at her brother in law. "Take Tao. You guys are going back to Japan tonight."

Both Inuyasha and Tao began to protest but she was firm with her decision and held her hand up, effectively silencing them both. She pointed towards the direction of the hotel and held her gaze with Inuyasha. He was staring back before visually becoming uncomfortable by her stare. He swallowed and looked at his brother's back over Kagome's shoulder before looking at his nephew. Tao was beginning to sweat profusely and he was on the verge of tears; because of pain or because of the results that were beginning to abound with his parents. Without a word, Inuyasha sighed and grabbed Tao and they flew off the balcony towards the streets below. Tao was yelling for his mother-or was he crying? Inuyasha didn't know. He only knew that he could feel the immense pain and chaos his nephew was in watching his parents get farther and farther away from him.

o

o

o

o

Kagome felt a lump in her throat form as she watched her son yell for her as he was taken away by Inuyasha. She needed to end this. Now. Turning towards her ever-stoic husband, she finally felt something akin to courage and pure fury rush trough her. It was now or never.

"Sesshoumaru." She spoke, cursing herself for allowing her voice to shake. He responded right away much to her surprise by turning around right away just staring at her. _'Oh crap. Now I'm intimidated.' _She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She was nervous now and everything she'd wanted to say wasn't there anymore. Wait-she did.

"So. What do you have to say for yourself?" She crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow and had to mentally smack herself at how silly that was. He also quirked an eyebrow at her_. 'Get it together Kagome!' _

"Okay. Please explain yourself to me. I can understand you being mad at me but-"she took hold of his hand, something surprised her—"why did you use your demon against Tao? Why did you attack our child?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

He looked down at their hands and looked at her. "You lied to me. I became enraged—blindingly so. Tao tried to stop me and I reacted instinctively." That was his curt reply. Kagome didn't know what to think of it. _'He should've been able to know the difference—right? Does he become too induced in chaos when his beast takes over that he can't discern friend from foe?' _Kagome felt herself become madder.

"So basically…you could attack any of us at anytime without any knowledge of who we are? You could kill us and not care?" She said. His hand squeezed hers and he tugged her against his chest. She struggled against him, taking care of her stomach that was in the way. "No! Let go of me!"

Everything happened so fast—one second she was being held rather forcefully and the next she was sprawled out on the floor having been pushed out of the way by something. She could hear snarling and feral sounds behind her and she sat up, holding her stomach and gasped. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were pretty much at each other's necks, clawing and snarling—both of their eyes were beat red_. 'When had Inuyasha gotten back? Where was Tao?' _ A sharp pain in her abdomen brought her back to earth. _'Oh God….baby please be okay! Did I fall on my stomach?' _She stood up and leaned against the balcony railing.

The snarling continued and she felt a feral feeling come over her. She had to end this. NOW. Running forward the best she could and literally jumped on her husband. She threw her arms around his neck and bit him as hard as she could on the throat-directly above his Adam's apple. Everything thing ceased and she hurt nothing but the rushing sound of her blood in her ears. She was suddenly thrown back into what she found out later Inuyasha. He grunted at her impact. He wound his arms around her and began borderline snarling at his brother once again.

Kagome tasted iron and realized that her mouth was covered and full of Sesshoumaru's blood. She didn't think she'd bit him that hard but wow. _'Please let this work…' _Sesshoumaru snarled and wiped his neck, sniffing the blood mixed with her saliva and then training his eyes onto her. With a sudden woosh and blast of wind Kagome heard him yell—which sounded like more like a howl—and disappeared over the edge of the railing. Her eyes were wide in shock—her body reacted at the sight of her husband jumping and she moved forward. Inuyasha moved with her and they both made it to railing. Looking down was pointless—it was night_. 'He couldn't be dead right? He's jumped from higher places before….oh my god. Please let him be okay!'_

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

_o_

**I am thoroughly upset with this chapter. I'm losing my touch guys. I hope things change when college is done for the summer. =/**

**\\\\\\\The biting deal is a submissive gesture towards the alpha male in wolf packs and among dogs. It's basically showing the Alpha male that he's the boss and that you'll obey him**./


End file.
